World class ingrastructure: The Gautrain station in Sandton
Negotiations have been under way between the department and bus companies over the the subsidised bus contracts with bus companies — old contracts that the department inherited and simply kept renewing until, according to Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Ismal Vadi, “the auditor general rapped us on the knuckles”.
“These contracts were based on apartheid spatial development, which located black workers far from their places of work at great cost to the state and daily stress on commuters. A joint working group has been constituted with municipalities, bus companies and the department to hammer out the technical details of future contracts,” he said.
“If the negotiations continue as intended, envisaged outcomes are that bus companies will be given seven-year negotiated contracts which would enable them to modernise fleets; some routes will be rationalised to make the contracts financially viable for companies and a defined black empowerment component built into the contracts.
“It is not our role to tell Putco or anyone else who their empowerment partner should be — government cannot dictate but can put the principles down.
“The city has concluded negotiations with public transport operators operating in Dobsonville, Riverlea, Coronationville, Mapetla and Pimville where Rea Vaya now operates. As of July 1 2015, a new bus company, 100%-owned by former mini-bus taxi operators and Putco, will come into operation. This is not only a milestone for public transport but also for broad-based black economic empowerment.”
Vadi also went to great lengths to clarify the issues around Putco, explaining that Putco voluntarily surrendered its right to eight bus contracts as of March 31 2015. Services were extended for three months to cover the time finalising the negotiations, with other entities to take over these contracts.
“Putco subsequently took the matter to court to insist that new operators take over all its labour and other associated costs, citing Section 197, which does not apply as this was a voluntry resignation of the company,” said Vadi. “The manner in which they did this left us having to reassure commuters about continuity of service. Where possible, we will employ some Putco employees, but not all of them.
“We will continue striving towards and subsidising affordable, safe and reliable bus and metro rail services for working class people for whom these represent the primary form of transport.”
Tackling taxis
“Minibus taxis remain the biggest mover of commuters in our province and our most important partners in the provision of transport to our people,” stressed Vadi.
“It is regrettable that taxis are perceptually associated with violence and killings. The spike in the recent violence is of concern to the government and commuters alike, but it should never be that we rush to generalisations and allow taxis to be defined by killings and violence alone. This matter is receiving serious attention from government as a whole.
“Improving the behaviour of taxi drivers on our roads is an area where there is a need for greater co-operation between the traffic law enforcement agencies, the department and taxi owners.
“There is an overwhelming perception by other road users and commuters that reckless driving by taxi drivers poses a huge safety risk to them. In the interests of greater road safety and to protect lives from being lost through road accidents we must take determined steps to instil a culture of law abiding, courteous and safe driving on our roads by taxi drivers.
“We are looking forward to the publishing of the report by the portfolio committee on roads and transport on its enquiry into the taxi industry and the current licensing regime. This is a very good initiative which can provide new insight and the department will endeavour to act on the findings and recommendations of the report.”