The award-winning Kei Rail Project has recorded another milestone by reaching more than 100 000 passengers last week since the re-introduction of the daily passenger service in June last year.
Between 10 June 2011 and 4 May 2012, a total of 100 477 passengers have been transported between AmaBhele and Mthatha.
A proud Transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu said: “The passenger volumes clearly show that we took a right decision to get this service back on track. The market demand is there!”
Between January and March 2012, the Transnet Phelophepa Health Care Train visited communities living along the Kei Rail Line between King Sabata Dalindyebo and Great Kei areas to assist some of the most deprived communities in the Eastern Cape by providing free healthcare services. This includes a Dental clinic, Eye clinic, Health Education, diabetic screening, pap smear, prostate screening, breast screening and Counseling/Psychology.
Kei Rail is one of the six key projects, which were pronounced by MEC Marawu to feature at the Eastern Cape Transport Infrastructure Investment Conference to be held in July 2012. Other infrastructure projects were pronounced by both President Jacob Zuma in the State of the Nation Address and Premier Noxolo Kiviet in the State of the Province Address.
These include:
1. Logistics infrastructure – three ports (Port Elizabeth, Ngqurha and East London), two Industrial Development Zones (East London and Coega), two main rail links (Port Elizabeth – Sishen –Gauteng and East Lond – Gauteng), Coastal Rail Belt (Maputo – Durban – Mthatha – East London – Port Elizabeth – Cape Town) and branch lines in key corridors (Kei Rail – Phase 1)
2. National Road Corridors – N2/N6/N10 corridors, which link the Eastern Cape to the national economy, especially the coastal economic hubs
3. Optimisation of investments in provincial corridors – R72/R61/R58/R56/R62/R67 to link internal trade within the Province
4. Wild Coast Meander
5. Mthatha Airport Development
Media contact:
Ncedo Kumbaca
Cell: 082 562 6023
