Traffic jams are on the increase and the public transport system seems to be stuck in a rut. Critics question whether South Africa’s transport infrastructure can handle the pressure of three million World Cup visitors when it is already struggling to cope with domestic demands.
As it stands, public transport is in a parlous state. Bus services are unreliable, taxis are unreliable and dangerous, and trains are dangerous and slow.
Parliament’s transport portfolio committee chairperson, Jeremy Cronin, told the Cape Town Press Club last week that South Africa’s transport system has been ”neglected terribly” since 1994. Ordinary South Africans face ”awful public transport, every single day, and not just for a few weeks in 2010”, he said.
”I think there is a crisis — let me call it what it is. There are substantial crises around transport, mobility and accessibility for South Africans,” said Cronin, adding that 2010 might be an opportunity to fix the faults of the African National Congress government’s ”early” transport policies.
Department of Transport spokesperson Collen Msibi admitted this week that, in its present form, the system might not be able to handle traffic during the World Cup — but he stressed that serious money was being thrown at the problem.
”That is why the government has put aside R3,5billion in the next three years, so that we do not only put in place infrastructure and systems to support the event, but ensure that the transport infrastructure is sustainable beyond 2010,” he said.
His department has been working on a specific transport plan for 2010, which will be unveiled by Transport Minister Jeff Radebe after the current World Cup. Municipalities had already received R241,7-million from the department at the end of March. Another R700million would be allocated in 2006/07, R1billion in 2007/08 and R1,8billion the following year.
”With this much financial support and the commitment of all stakeholders, particularly the host venue cities, the probability of failure is minimal, if any,” said Msibi.
In smaller cities with few public transport facilities, such as Nel-spruit and Polokwane, minibus taxis will be critical to the smooth movement of spectators to stadiums. But the taxi recapitalisation programme has been stalling since 2002 and critics point out that there are still a lot of issues, such as licences and scrapping fees, that have to be negotiated with hesitant taxi operators.
Msibi said the industry would be ready. ”The taxi recapitalisation programme is being rolled out and it is envisaged that, in 2010, between 60% and 80% of minibus taxis will be in the recapitalised fleet.”
He pointed out that the Gautrain will be one of the novel transportation systems at the World Cup. But there are real fears that the Gautrain might not have all its ducks in a row come 2010.
In recent days there have been admissions that only part of the R20billion project — a fast rail link between Johannesburg International airport, Sandton, the city centre and Pretoria — will be completed in time for 2010.
The project is already months behind schedule as preferred bidder Bombela and Treasury lawyers do battle over the fine print in the contract. Parties are hoping for financial close at the end of July, but construction might only start in September.
The Gautrain was never planned specifically for 2010, said Gautrain spokesperson Barbara Jensen. ”It was conceptualised long before the bid and it will be a lasting legacy for Gauteng commuters after 2010.” But Jack van der Merwe, chief executive of the Gautrain, has said before that Gauteng had a ”moral obligation” to have some part ready for the World Cup.
Once financial close has been reached, said Jensen, the Gautrain will negotiate with Bombela to ensure that at least phase one, linking the airport to Sandton, and Sandton to Pretoria is completed. The current estimate is that this will take 48 months to complete.
Phase two, from Sandton to Park Station in Johannesburg, and Pretoria station to Hatfield, will be constructed after the World Cup.
The Gautrain plans to launch a ”feeder system” for 2010 where, for example, buses will be provided for spectators to get from Sandton station to Ellis Park and FNB Stadium.
In general, buses will also play a big role in moving spectators to stadiums, especially in Gauteng, but their notorious unreliability makes bus transport a big liability. Provincial transport minister Ignatius Jacobs admitted that the bus system in Gauteng was a problem now, and that it would be a ”big challenge” to sort it out.
Timetables present a key challenge. ”We have worked closely with the three affected metros — the City of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane — to integrate the Gautrain bus feeder system with their bus systems,” said Jacobs.
He added that a new plan would be introduced in January to create a single transport plan for Gauteng. He is keen on putting a single ticketing system in place by 2010, or even earlier, that will work with taxis, buses, Metrorail and the Gautrain.