The parliamentary committee looking into the viability of the Gautrain needed to do a ”bit more work” before it decided on the project’s future, Gauteng finance minister, Paul Mashatile, said on Thursday.
The parliamentary transport portfolio committee, which recently recommended that the Gautrain should not go ahead, had not had enough time to look into the project, he said at a media briefing in Johannesburg.
Mashatile said the committee’s findings were based on one presentation done last week.
”To make findings out of one presentation is a bit problematic,” he said.
The committee called the project ”high risk” and strongly advised the government against going ahead with it.
The committee’s report, which was adopted on Wednesday, said the project lacks integration with regional transport plans. Its focus is on an ”affluent target market”.
Key benefits such as the easing of traffic congestion seems unlikely, the report said.
The Gauteng government will submit a report to the Cabinet on the Gautrain project soon. The Cabinet is expected to make a decision on the project before the end of the year.
Mashatile said he is not expecting the Cabinet to express any doubt about the project.
”I would like to state unambiguously that the project is on track.
”Every step of this project was done with the approval of the National Treasury,” he said.
He said no single project can solve the significant transport challenges faced in the province and the country.
Last week, commuters vainly waiting for transport at various railway stations in Gauteng torched coaches, causing millions of rands in damages.
Commuters say they are regularly delayed by Metrorail trains.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party have called for a commission of inquiry to come up with proposals for overhauling the entire rail system.
They said the control infrastructure that manages the train system is old and that the coaches and control system for trains in the province are seriously run down.
Mashatile said, however, that he is confident that commuters will benefit from the Gautrain project.
”It is not a question of the Gautrain or the upgrading of Metrorail; we need both,” Mashatile said. ”I have no doubt that the present commuters of the existing Metrorail system will benefit form the Gautrain at the three stations where the networks integrate.”
Mashatile said the total cost for the Gautrain will not exceed R20-billion, as set out by Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel in his mid-term Budget statement in October.
”We are presently negotiating financial closure with the preferred bidder [the Bombela Consortium] and will start construction early next year,” he said.
Once the Gauteng government signs on the dotted line with the preferred bidder, ”that would be the final cost”.
”I will announce the final costs which will be within the limits set by the minister in December.
”Once we sign on the dotted line with the preferred bidder, that is the cost. The preferred bidder takes the risk.”
The project has cost R300-million so far, Mashatile said.
About 93 000 people will be employed during the construction period, while permanent operations for the Gautrain will need about 2 700 employees.
Mashatile said the Gautrain will contribute to South Africa’s successful hosting of the Soccer World Cup in 2010.
”We are committed to meet the initial deadline of a 54-month construction period,” he said.
Gauteng transport minister Ignatius Jacobs said the Gautrain project will be an anchor for the new type of public-transport system that the province wants.
He said a meeting will be held on Monday to look at ways of making immediate improvements to the province’s public transport system.
”We are working flat-out with Metrorail,” he said.
Jacobs said community commuters’ organisations are being consulted about their transport needs in areas where there are problems, such as Orange Farm and Lenasia, south of Johannesburg. — Sapa