/ 6 March 2008

SA approves R8,6bn rail and road project

The government has approved an R8,6-billion road and rail improvement scheme to help cater for thousands of visitors expected for the 2010 soccer World Cup, a spokesperson said on Thursday.

The Moloto rail corridor project will link Gauteng with Mpumalanga in the north-east close to the popular Kruger National Park.

The project is designed to cut journey times and road deaths.

South Africa, the first African country to host the Soccer World Cup, has embarked on a multibillion-rand infrastructure development programme ahead of the tournament.

It has specifically targeted public transport, refurbishing trains and railway lines, improving roads and scrapping unroadworthy taxis that ferry thousands of commuters to work. — Reuters