The Gauteng MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure, Jacob Mamabolo, has received the Competition Commission’s Provisional Report on Land Based Public Passenger Transport and is reviewing it.
The MEC has engaged with the Commissioner and there is agreement on the need for ongoing discussion on many of the issues raised in the report.
The MEC’s comments and suggestions will be included in the response to this Provisional Report that has to be submitted by 31 March 2020.
At a high level there are many areas where the provisional findings align with Gauteng Provincial Government’s views on public transport. These include the need for the devolution of commuter rail functions to a Provincial Transport Authority and the need for better integration of public transport modes. In the inaugural State of the Province Address of the sixth term of office, Premier David Makhura highlighted the centrality of having integrated public transport modes as part of growing the economy of the province. This included the need for integrated planning and funding for the public transport system.
It is for this reason that the Provincial Government has created the Transport Authority for Gauteng and it will start work this year. To this end, outgoing CEO of the Gautrain Management Agency, Mr. Jack van der Merwe, has been appointed as the interim CEO of this Authority.
Our vision is of a centralised transport authority with planning and funding powers that looks at integration holistically.
MEC Mamabolo noted some of the Commission’s views and communicated to the Commissioner that ongoing investment in rail is essential and that Gauteng cannot continue relying on road based public transport. The reality is that with forecast population and economic growth the road network simply will not be sufficient to accommodate the forecast number of trips by 2037.
Current forecasts suggest that, by 2037, average trip speeds on the future road network in the morning will decrease to below 20km/hour. This will have a very negative impact on our economy.
The Provincial Government has devised a strategy titled Growing Gauteng Together – 2030 that includes making long term investments that support economic growth and changing the spatial form of Gauteng. The capital required for building new rail lines is very high but the long-term benefits justify it because they create long term assets that can be used for many generations to come. These investments must be made in upgrading the current Metrorail systems to higher standards and also in new rail lines linking the new economic development nodes.
Enquiries:
Melitah Madiba
Cell: 073 644 9935
Theo Nkonki
Cell: 082 719 6404
E-mail: PressOffice.gpdrt@gauteng.gov.za
