I wish to express my sincere condolences to all the families who recently lost their loved ones to fatal accidents. Last Friday, we witnessed a disturbing and distressing crash on the N1 - next to the Rigel off ramp, of a 14 car pile-up in which three people lost their lives and 13 others were admitted to hospital. The previous Monday, we had three separate accidents in Sharpeville and Sebokeng in which one person lost his life and 38 others, including three children, were admitted to hospital.
This carnage on our roads has to stop. The Department of Roads and Transport, together with the local authorities and other partner agencies, is extremely concerned about such deadly road accidents. Even as the different levels of government intensify efforts to reduce the number of fatalities on our roads through more aggressive law enforcement, it is equally important that drivers and pedestrians take greater responsibility for their own safety.
New and upgraded road construction
Yesterday, the Premier committed the Gauteng Provincial Government to providing the residents of this province with improved road infrastructure and better and more reliable public transport facilities.
I would like to elaborate on the plans that will help make the Premier’s commitment a reality. Firstly, the department will invest more heavily in the development of our roads infrastructure with a view to better connect our cities and rural areas. Our Road Infrastructure Development Programme will be focussed on the following:
- The completion of construction of Cayman Road towards the “Eye of Africa”, which will provide a linkage between Heidelberg and Vereeniging and the “Eye of Africa” tourism attraction centre
- Construction of Voortrekker Road (R55/K71 - Phase 1) between Wierda Road and Laudium
- Construction of William Nicol (K46 - Phase 1) from Witkoppen to PWV5, which will create a linkage between Sandton and Diepsloot
- Construction of Malibongwe Drive (K29 - Phase 3), which will help to ease traffic congestion from Lanseria Airport to the N14 and the N1 and facilitate the movement of goods and services to the nearby industrial development zone
- Upgrading of Adcock Road (K15 - Phase 3) between Dobsonville to Protea Glen, which will ensure ease of mobility from Soweto to Mogale City. This road also links Chamdor to Soweto, thereby creating a transport corridor between the areas south of Johannesburg and the West Rand
- Upgrading of the Pinehaven inter-change (P126), which will ease the flow of traffic between Pretoria, Krugersdorp and the North West province
- Upgrading of the R82 between Walkerville and De Deur en route to Vereeniging.
The department will also focus specifically on the development of a set of rural roads, which hitherto have been sorely neglected. The sub-programme will entail the re-gravelling and tarring of selected roads in Nooitgedacht, Hammanskraal, Rust de Winter, Winterveldt and Magaliesburg. An allocation of R7.5 million for each rural road has been set aside in the coming financial year. Lastly, the Department will improve township roads in Sharpeville and Sebokeng.
On 7 March, the department will host a very special occasion. It will officially unveil the dual carriage-way constructed on Beyers Naude Drive. In doing so, it will honour the memory and proud legacy of an illustrious Afrikaner, the late Dr Beyers Naude, who turned his back on the comfortable life of an oppressor under apartheid and chose the more difficult path of making common cause with the oppressed in our country.
Pothole repairs and routine and preventative maintenance
Gauteng’s roads maintenance programme has been neglected for some time. This has resulted in the progressive deterioration of a good number of our provincial roads. The department has re-prioritised the maintenance component of its work. As road maintenance has now been established as a core function in the department, we allocated almost R1 billion in the next financial year to fund this programme.
Our target is to repair potholes throughout the province. Needless to say, the public outcry over potholes has been a topic of endless conversations, both privately and publicly. In our endeavour to find a solution, the department has partnered with municipalities, LeadSA and the Pothole Brigade.
This team effort is already yielding positive results. In the last month alone, we have repaired 52 331 potholes on municipal and provincial roads. This programme will be intensified over the coming months. Over the next three years, the focus will hopefully change to the rehabilitation and the preventative maintenance of our roads network.
A monitoring and inspection team located in the roads branch has been established for routine checks on our roads. It primary function is to identify road maintenance problems timeously and to address the problems promptly.
Public transport
The department will improve public transport facilities in Gauteng. In the course of this year, it will complete the construction of two inter-modal public transport facilities in Zandspruit (along the Beyers Naude Drive) and in Bophelong. In addition, it will complete the designs for two additional inter-modal public transport facilities – one in Vanderbijlpark and one near the Leratong Hospital.
In promoting non-motorised transport, the department will construct walkways and cycle lanes along selected areas on the West Rand and the Metsweding District Municipality. In total, 17 kilomtres of walkways have been identified and the department will be distributing 3000 bicycles to deserving learners from these communities.
Gautrain
The Premier announced yesterday that Gautrain will be fully operational by 1 July 2011. This sorely-needed, world-class public transport service will provide commuters travelling from Tshwane to Johannesburg and back with greater choice. It will provide a safe, reliable, efficient and comfortable train service to passengers.
Gautrain must promote the use of public transport. Therefore, I am in discussions with the Gautrain Management Agency to ensure that the train fares are competitive and affordable. I intend to make an announcement on the details of the fares early next month, so that people can make informed choices about their preferred mode of transport in future.
The department remains committed to the provision of a reliable, safe, affordable and accessible public transport system, coupled with an effective roads infrastructure, which plays a critical role in promoting economic growth; moving goods and services; creating jobs; linking cities and rural communities and promoting social inclusion. The road is long and tough. Soon we will have a clear plan to guide our way, as my office will be establishing a high-level technical committee to design a 25 year integrated transport master plan for Gauteng.
For more information contact:
Octavia Mamabolo
Cell: 082 316 8666
Source: Gauteng Roads and Transport
