November 10, 2004
By Thomas Thale
OVER the next five years, more and more hard-pressed Gauteng commuters will choose to travel to work by buses, taxis and trains, simply because such modes of transport are cheaper, safer and time-saving.
This is the picture painted by a comprehensive new plan unveiled to the media on Monday by the MEC for Public Transport, Roads and Works in Gauteng, Ignatius Jacobs.
The five-year Strategic Plan For Transport and Infrastructure is designed to improve public transport infrastructure in the province by 2009, just in time for the Soccer World Cup which will be held in South Africa in 2010.
Expressing confidence that the opening ceremony of the World Cup would be held at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, Jacobs said the event "has given us an excuse for developing socio-economic infrastructure".
The plan seeks to upgrade and synchronise public transport, so that buses, trains and taxis operate in a coordinated fashion, with commuters using the same tickets and receiving a standard commuter subsidy from the Government. This will be accompanied by disincentives for the use of private vehicles, especially during peak hours, said Jacobs.
He said the provincial plan would be designed to work in synergy with the Integrated Transport Plans of municipalities.
Gauteng, a province covering 17 010 square kilometres, has 2,8-million registered vehicles, many of which are often stuck in traffic jams on busy roads across the province, especially during peak hours.
A survey by the Gauteng Department of Transport and Public Works revealed that 84,7% of commuters use public transport. "These commuters continue to register significant levels of dissatisfaction with each mode of transport, ranging from distance between home and station, travel time, security to, at and on vehicles, overcrowding, accidents, frequency, punctuality, fares, facilities and overall service," said Jacobs.
Jacobs said people tended not to use public transport for a number of reasons: "It is not available; it is too far from home; there is too much crime and the transport does not go where it is needed".
He attributed many of these problems to apartheid planning, which put mainly black labourers far away from their places of work. "The emphasis was on a defined mobility that did not necessarily follow the normal planning objectives of integration, legibility, complexity, accessibility and communication efficiencies," said Jacobs.
Other problems identified with the public transport system were that it is costly, not user-friendly and time-consuming.
"Studies show that 71,2% of the commuters spend over R300 a month on public transport. Public transport is also not accessible to the disabled. Fifty seven percent of commuters spend over two hours a day travelling to work, and this has an adverse effect on work performance," said Jacobs. The inefficiency of the railway system has also seen the movement of freight from rail to road, further increasing pressure on the road network.
This legacy, added Jacobs, could only be addressed through integrated planning.
The new plan aims to provide a transport system that will reduce costs and travel time, while improving service.
According to Jacobs, the provision of new infrastructure will be driven by the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), which places a premium on labour intensive methods of production. The programme would see the Provincial Government creating over 120 000 direct and indirect jobs through the EPWP.
Jacobs pledged to ensure "increased mobility and accessibility for Gauteng citizens, particularly the poor, to transport and socio-economic infrastructure, which facilitates their meaningful participation in economic and social activities".
He said R7.7-billion would be spent on the rollout of the Taxi Recapitalisation Plan in the province. Taxis, which have historically not received subsidies enjoyed by buses and trains, will, from next year, also receive such grants.
Jacobs said his Department would facilitate training and development of the taxi industry, with a view to increasing professionalism and customer service.
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