Gautrain CEO Jack van der Merwe is optimistic that the R8-billion Gautrain project will be completed in time for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
”How do you eat an elephant? Bite by bite,” Van der Merwe said at a meeting of the South African Association of Consulting Engineers.
”I’m retiring in 2013, so it has to be finished by then,” Van der Merwe joked.
A project of this nature took, on average, 14 years from the time of announcement to the moment the mayor cut the ribbon.
”We will try and do it in 10 years.”
He said the two bidders for the project, Bombela and Gauliwe consortiums, had said they will finish the project on time.
Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa is to announce which of the two consortia is the successful bidder towards the end of June.
Construction is expected to start later this year, Van der Merwe said.
Each tender comprised 87 and 47 crates of documents respectively.
The Gautrain will cost about R2-million per hour to build over 260 weeks, and is expected to create one million jobs.
”The project will create 100 000 jobs. Of these, 57 000 would be created during construction. This was 10% of the total jobs government promised to create,” Van der Merwe said.
The Gautrain is an integral part of the South Africa’s 2010 World Cup Soccer bid.
Van der Merwe said that during the World Summit on Sustainable Development, every one of the 40 000 to 50 000 visitors spent an average of R38 000.
The 2010 Soccer World Cup is expected to draw about 500 000 visitors.
A key factor in the success of the Gautrain project is making it attractive to motorists.
”You have to say that public transport is a viable option for all people, not just for the poor,” Van der Merwe said.
The cost of a bus trip from Sandton to Johannesburg International airport, which currently costs between R200 and R300, will be reduced on the train to between R10 and R12.
Another factor to be taken into account is coordinating the buses — which are to take people to the train — with the train timetable.
”The bus has to arrive before the train leaves. The local taxi industry has no regard for the public transport timetable,” he said.
He said Gauteng had been chosen for the project because of its economic strength. It is home to 70% of the country’s workforce and the province contributed 33% of South Africa’s gross domestic product and 10% of Africa’s.
The Gautrain is expected to boost the province’s GDP by between 0,7 and 1%.
It was ”purposely made” to ease congestion between Pretoria and Johannesburg. There are now six-million passenger trips a day in Gauteng, Van der Merwe said.
Vehicle traffic between the two cities is growing at 21 000 trips per year.
He said congestion is becoming such a problem that people are going to work around 5am and leaving earlier in the afternoon, to avoid the traffic jams.
”We can only solve congestion through public transport. We can’t build our way out of congestion,” he said, adding that Los Angeles-style 15-lane highways were not an option for South Africa.
”Freeways cost between R50-million to R80-million a kilometre in Gauteng. We can’t do it.”
”The average freeway in South Africa takes 17 years to build.”
The Gautrain will promote ”business tourism”, reshape the urban environment of Johannesburg and Pretoria while stimulating and uplifting their central business districts.
The construction will affect 1 140 properties, each of which will have to be visited individually for negotiations with the owners.
”This is the most extensive public participation contract in the history of the country,” Van der Merwe said.
When asked whether there would be a second phase to the project, Van der Merwe said: ”We’ve designed it so it can be extended. Let’s get the first part under our belt first.” – Sapa