November 21, 2005
By Lucille Davie
DESPITE criticism of the Gautrain, several Gauteng MECs have reassured the public that the train was definitely still on.
"I would like to indicate unambiguously that the project is on track. We are presently negotiating financial closure with the preferred bidder and will start construction early next year," said finance and economic affairs MEC Paul Mashatile and public transport, roads and works MEC Ignatius Jacobs in a recent joint statement.
The Gautrain has been debated in parliament, with the parliamentary transport committee expressing some doubt about its viability and huge cost. In October Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said the train would cost R20-billion, almost three times the original R7-billion.
The committee is expected to deliver an opinion in December. Final permission to build the train has to be obtained from the national government as it will be supplying a fair percentage of the finance.
The 80km train will run between Johannesburg, Tshwane and the Johannesburg International Airport. It is hoped that it will ease the heavy congestion on the Ben Schoeman Highway between Johannesburg and Tshwane.
Questions have been asked about the project's target market, its feasibility, its cost, its integration with the present Metrorail system running to Pretoria, whether it can attract at least 135 000 passengers a day, and whether it can entice South Africans, traditionally great car lovers, to leave those cars at home and take the train.
The MECs felt it necessary to reiterate the objectives of the Gautrain:
- Economic growth, not only for Gauteng but for the country, the sub-region and the continent. It is projected to contribute between 0,7 percent and 1 percent to Gauteng's gross geographic product, thus contributing to national goals of a 6 percent growth rate;
- Contributing to an integrated transport system for Gauteng;
- Transforming the land use patterns of Gauteng, skewed by apartheid, and at the same time contributing to urban regeneration efforts, particularly in the Joburg and Tshwane CBDs; and
- Contributing to the goal of halving unemployment and poverty by 2014.
"We continue to believe that the Gautrain is value-for-money in achieving the objectives set out above," they said.
The Bombela Consortium was awarded the bid in July, with construction expected to start early in 2006.
Although not a condition of winning the bid for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the completion of the Gautrain in time would "contribute to our successful hosting of these games".
"It is projects such as this which enable us to win such bids and make cities great."
They stressed that the Gautrain would be a major factor in linking the three metropolitan areas, while consolidating the economic linkages between them.
Obviously concerned with integration issues raised by the parliamentary committee - an issue not raised previously by them - the Gauteng officials have indicated that they intend submitting a report to cabinet outlining their integration plans.
These include:
- Working closely with Metrorail on plans to revitalise the rail network;
- Maximising links with the road network;
- Making links to taxi and bus networks;
- Ensuring that the Gautrain stations become "local economic development nodes"; and
- Sharing the technology and expertise gleaned from the Gautrain experience with the existing rail system management.
"[We] have no doubt that the present commuters of the existing SARCC/Metrorail system will benefit from the Gautrain at the three stations where the networks integrate," they said in their statement.
They confirmed that the Gautrain must be considered an "important component" of the solution to the concerns of the present rail transport systems.
Plans for the upgrade of the rail system will be released by July 2006, including plans to improve train and station security, following the recent torching of train coaches.
"It is not a question of Gautrain or the upgrading of Metrorail - we need both," they concluded.
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