MEC Bheki Nkosi unveiled departmental budget plans 2010/11 to the provincial Gauteng Provincial Legislature on Tuesday, 18 May 2010.
Despite a delay in some of the roads and transport projects in the previous financial year; as results of budget constraints, MEC Nkosi is adamant that the department will deliver on its mandate of providing an efficient public transport system in an environmentally safe manner and provide extensive roads infrastructure network. Nkosi says the department will be accelerating delivery of some other key delivery projects in the current financial year. These includes delivery of transport plans for 2010 Soccer World Cup, implementation of the intelligence number plates and rehabilitation and completion of road network infrastructure projects as well as roads maintenance, rehabilitation and upgrading among others.
The provincial roads networks which are currently under pressure of the heavy traffic flow will receive R400 million for maintenance and rehabilitation. This will be utilised to rehabilitate state roads, storm water drainage and side walk in the townships.
Gautrain which will have one of the routes ready for operation next month, would be completed and ready for handover to the department in March 2011. Since its inception, Gautrain has created about 93 000 direct and indirect jobs.
The department working with municipalities through inter-governmental processes will find new ways of improving revenue collection, thereby improving service delivery in the Driver Learning Testing Centres (DLTCs). The department will establishment four new DLTCs within the 20 prioritised townships in Kliptown, Kagiso, Mamelodi and Kwa-Tsaduza thus bringing services that improve the quality of life closer to the citizens. Additional 145 Post Offices for the renewal of vehicle licenses will be opened with the help of the South African Post Office (SAPO).
As part of the October Transport month campaign, the department will launch the new intelligence number plate system. About R25 million has been allocated to the launching of the system. The new system will replace the current number plate system and also help in addressing issues of car theft and vehicle duplications and further enhance the department's efforts to fight crime.
The department in association with the Department of Agriculture Rural Development and other stakeholders such as the South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI) will develop a strategy on green transport in a bid to contribute to a clean and sustainable environment. To support the annual Car Free Day Campaign, the department will mobilise stakeholders to participate in the campaign to broaden consciousness to citizens about the importance of public transport and ensuring the seamless movement of people, goods and services in a bid to make Gauteng a globally competitive city region.
Since the reconfiguration of the Gauteng Provincial Government departments, the department as concluded its split, this has resulted in the disestablishment of two entities, the Urban Transport Fund (UTF) and Gauteng Transport Management Authority (GTMA) including their boards.
MEC Nkosi says the department's budget creates a “bridgehead for the realisation of the outcomes driven strategy” and its priorities are in line with national government's objectives of service delivery, poverty alleviation and job creation.
