Transport projects heart of Gauteng

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Pretoria - The successful completion and full operation of Gautrain bears testimony to the capacity of government to deliver on large-scale public transport projects.

“In the short-term, we will be expanding the Gautrain platform at the OR Tambo International Airport and increasing parking capacity at the Pretoria and Centurion Stations,” said Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi.

Delivering the department’s Budget Vote this week, the MEC said the extended operational times for the Sandton-Airport link will be implemented in the next month.

He said the Gauteng Management Agency is currently examining the feasibility of expanding the rail system in seven phases to other parts of the province. However, he said details of the progress report will be made public in 2015.

Rea Vaya

The MEC said the progress made by the City of Johannesburg’s Rea Vaya bus system has already changed people’s perceptions of public transport.

He said Phases 1 A and B now transport over 70 000 passengers on a daily basis. Construction work on the next phase between Johannesburg and Sandton/Alexandra Township has already begun.

MEC Vadi said the first phase of Tshwane’s A re Yeng Tshwane Rapid Transit (TRT) system will be launched later this year. The City has finalised the design of the road and transport infrastructure. Construction, which formally commenced in July 2012, is at an advanced stage.

“Work on a similar system in Ekurhuleni has begun and we are looking into the possibility of extending the bus rapid transit system to the West Rand,” he said.

Prasa’s Fleet Renewal Programme

Transport Minister Dipuo Peters recently launched the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) Fleet Renewal Programme, which will see the agency acquiring 3 600 new rail coaches over a 10-year period costing R51 billion.  

A new factory and industrial park will be developed in Dunnottar, Nigel, where the trains will be built. It is planned that the first train will be tested in November 2015.

MEC Vadi said the Metrorail revitalisation programme will create over 8 000 direct jobs at the Dunnottar plant, while an additional 33 000 jobs will be created in the wider transport sector.

“This bold programme will help to revitalise our ailing rail engineering industry, transfer technology to South Africa and create economic opportunities for thousands of women, youth and other black-owned enterprises through firm localisation targets.

“On its part, the department has entered into a partnership with Prasa to build intermodal transport facilities at key stations along the Prasa rail modernisation corridor running from Mamelodi to Naledi in Soweto,” he said.

MEC Vadi said the developments show that the dream of making rail the backbone of the country’s future transport system is gradually, but systematically becoming a reality.

“Rolling out public transport infrastructure is not an event; it is a process that takes time. What is important though is that the process has started and is on track.

“These interventions support the re-industrialisation of the provincial economy through strategic infrastructure development.

“We are confident that the rollout of public transport infrastructure will revitalise and modernise old transport industries through the local manufacturing or assembling of busses and trains,” he said. - SAnews.gov.za