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I'VE just been watching the BBC series of Elizabeth Gaskell’s books, Cranford, set in 1840s England. A key plot element is whether or not the railway is going to be given access to the little town of Cranford.
Eventually, the ageing protagonist (played by Judi Dench) realises that if she and her friends continue to resist the railway, the young will leave Cranford as they won’t be able to find work.
Transport is key to economic prosperity. We have to be able to move goods and people effectively, affordably and sustainably. But we seem to do things arse-about-face in South Africa. An example from my own province: we spent R27bn on the Gautrain.
Currently it’s moving 45 000 people a day (and my guess is that many of those are daily commuters). There are 12 million people living in Gauteng, and we’re told that currently, those people are paying R70m a month to keep this service on track.
I have only used the Gautrain a couple of times – since I live in Roodepoort, I have no occasion to – and I do understand why people love it so much. It really is world class. But was it a wise investment? Should the bling have come before the nitty-gritty?
It’s great for the people who live and work along the 80-odd kilometres of its length, or who can get to it via the buses. It does nothing for the poorer people living in Randfontein and working in Roodepoort, or those who have to travel from Daveyton to Edenvale, or... but you get my point.
Every day, commuters see Putco buses broken down on the side of the road; at the very least twice a month, train users are late for work because the trains are delayed. Parlyreport for December 7 2012 tells us that “97.5% of the vehicles used for transport were acquired in the fifties”, and our rail stock is pretty aged, too.
Parlyreport added: “Whilst the public may appear to prefer private transport, in census results this only came about because of the lack of public systems, the public being aware of the very poor maintenance aspect to bus and coach services, insufficient rail alternatives and no provision for cycling.”
What kind of boost would our local economy have had if, instead of putting R27bn into Gautrain, we’d invested it in improving and extending less fancy commuter rail services?
If we had taken the similar amount borrowed for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) and put it into improved and integrated bus services, perhaps we could have got enough commuters off the road so we wouldn’t need the improved roads and all those toll gantries spewing violet light across our roads day and night – in Cape Town, after all, half the commuters now using the My Citi feeder buses were previously vehicle users.
So my Gauteng rates and my taxes have been used for two massive projects which have had a very limited impact (one of the reasons given for only having meetings about e-tolls in upmarket suburbs, after all, was that the GFIP really only services the upper crust, not your average bus, taxi and rail commuter).
I’d be happy to contribute tax money to create a more equitable and user-friendly transport system for people who cannot afford cars and who would prefer not to risk their lives on taxis.
I’d also be happy to have the option of buses and trains and feeder services like tuk-tuks to make my way to client meetings, instead of driving. (And the option of not having to pay toll fees, if and when!)
But at nearly R50bn, neither the freeway nor the Gautrain has made a dent in the commuting problems of the poor, who really need the help; nor has either of them, from my perspective, done much to achieve one stated aim, and that was to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.
Yes, I know we have a Gauteng Five-year Transport Implementation Plan; yes, I know many cities around South Africa have proposals for integrated public transport networks. Plans, papers, committees and commissions we’re very good at in this country, but what about actually doing things?
Just look at the much-vaunted Joburg Rea Vaya bus service which began in 2009, and currently services only commuters from one important part of Jozi – Soweto and Eldorado Park.
The 18km Auckland Park route has been lying fallow for ages. It was estimated to have cost R1.2bn as well as occasioning the removal of 74 trees on Empire Road, between Jan Smuts Avenue and Victoria Avenue.
Yet for the past year and more, yellow barriers have been parked at the stops instead of buses. We’re told the route (‘Phase 1b’) will be operational by mid-year, and a ‘Phase 1c’ is being discussed.
Discussed? At this rate, it’ll take 50 years to get a decent bus network in place that services the entire city and suburbs.
And frankly, I can’t wait that long. With fuel prices soaring to predicted over R13 a litre within weeks, even before this budget’s additional 23c on the fuel levy, the slow pace of implementation is beginning to get up my nose and scour out my purse.
Local and national government, give us your goals, your deadlines and some action, urgently!
- Fin24
*Mandi Smallhorne is a versatile journalist and editor. Views expressed are her own. Follow her on twitter.
Eventually, the ageing protagonist (played by Judi Dench) realises that if she and her friends continue to resist the railway, the young will leave Cranford as they won’t be able to find work.
Transport is key to economic prosperity. We have to be able to move goods and people effectively, affordably and sustainably. But we seem to do things arse-about-face in South Africa. An example from my own province: we spent R27bn on the Gautrain.
Currently it’s moving 45 000 people a day (and my guess is that many of those are daily commuters). There are 12 million people living in Gauteng, and we’re told that currently, those people are paying R70m a month to keep this service on track.
I have only used the Gautrain a couple of times – since I live in Roodepoort, I have no occasion to – and I do understand why people love it so much. It really is world class. But was it a wise investment? Should the bling have come before the nitty-gritty?
It’s great for the people who live and work along the 80-odd kilometres of its length, or who can get to it via the buses. It does nothing for the poorer people living in Randfontein and working in Roodepoort, or those who have to travel from Daveyton to Edenvale, or... but you get my point.
Every day, commuters see Putco buses broken down on the side of the road; at the very least twice a month, train users are late for work because the trains are delayed. Parlyreport for December 7 2012 tells us that “97.5% of the vehicles used for transport were acquired in the fifties”, and our rail stock is pretty aged, too.
Parlyreport added: “Whilst the public may appear to prefer private transport, in census results this only came about because of the lack of public systems, the public being aware of the very poor maintenance aspect to bus and coach services, insufficient rail alternatives and no provision for cycling.”
What kind of boost would our local economy have had if, instead of putting R27bn into Gautrain, we’d invested it in improving and extending less fancy commuter rail services?
If we had taken the similar amount borrowed for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) and put it into improved and integrated bus services, perhaps we could have got enough commuters off the road so we wouldn’t need the improved roads and all those toll gantries spewing violet light across our roads day and night – in Cape Town, after all, half the commuters now using the My Citi feeder buses were previously vehicle users.
So my Gauteng rates and my taxes have been used for two massive projects which have had a very limited impact (one of the reasons given for only having meetings about e-tolls in upmarket suburbs, after all, was that the GFIP really only services the upper crust, not your average bus, taxi and rail commuter).
I’d be happy to contribute tax money to create a more equitable and user-friendly transport system for people who cannot afford cars and who would prefer not to risk their lives on taxis.
I’d also be happy to have the option of buses and trains and feeder services like tuk-tuks to make my way to client meetings, instead of driving. (And the option of not having to pay toll fees, if and when!)
But at nearly R50bn, neither the freeway nor the Gautrain has made a dent in the commuting problems of the poor, who really need the help; nor has either of them, from my perspective, done much to achieve one stated aim, and that was to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.
Yes, I know we have a Gauteng Five-year Transport Implementation Plan; yes, I know many cities around South Africa have proposals for integrated public transport networks. Plans, papers, committees and commissions we’re very good at in this country, but what about actually doing things?
Just look at the much-vaunted Joburg Rea Vaya bus service which began in 2009, and currently services only commuters from one important part of Jozi – Soweto and Eldorado Park.
The 18km Auckland Park route has been lying fallow for ages. It was estimated to have cost R1.2bn as well as occasioning the removal of 74 trees on Empire Road, between Jan Smuts Avenue and Victoria Avenue.
Yet for the past year and more, yellow barriers have been parked at the stops instead of buses. We’re told the route (‘Phase 1b’) will be operational by mid-year, and a ‘Phase 1c’ is being discussed.
Discussed? At this rate, it’ll take 50 years to get a decent bus network in place that services the entire city and suburbs.
And frankly, I can’t wait that long. With fuel prices soaring to predicted over R13 a litre within weeks, even before this budget’s additional 23c on the fuel levy, the slow pace of implementation is beginning to get up my nose and scour out my purse.
Local and national government, give us your goals, your deadlines and some action, urgently!
- Fin24
*Mandi Smallhorne is a versatile journalist and editor. Views expressed are her own. Follow her on twitter.
