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The new Gauteng Transport Management Authority is "about levelling the playing field with respect to policy application and public governance". It will also cut costs and the spread of urban sprawl.
Ignatius Jacobs, the MEC for Transport and Public Works, launches the Gauteng Transport Management Authority
A SINGLE ticket system is being rolled out that will make using public transport across Gauteng a whole lot easier.
The system, similar to London's Oyster Card - a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area - is being rolled out by the Gauteng Transport Management Authority (GTMA), a new transport management body.
"The single ticketing system will see travellers being transported seamlessly and with much ease around the province," said Eezi Raboroko, the chief director of transportation management in the province, at the GTMA launch, on Thursday, 9 October.
Using an electronic card, commuters will be able to use all modes of public transport, including trains, buses and mini-bus taxis, that run along the province's integrated strategic public transport network (SPTN), which links commuters in all residential areas with places of work and services.
The implementation of the SPTN - and the introduction of the single ticket system - would help to reduce public travel costs and attract current car users to use public transport, Raboroko said.
Umbilical cord
Described by transport MEC Ignatius Jacobs as "an umbilical cord" that would link all transport-related programmes in Gauteng, the GTMA would help to elevate the province into a global city region, similar to globally competitive regions such as Sao Paulo, Shangai and Mumbai.
It would also ensure a unity of service delivery on transport-related matters, so that residents of Gauteng and the people of South Africa benefited from a transport service that was universally accessible, irrespective of location or socio-economic base, Jacobs explained.
"The launch of this transport authority is also about levelling the playing field with respect to policy application and public governance.
"As the government, we are establishing the GTMA in order to accelerate the pace at which we help to unlock the socio-economic potential of all communities. At the same time, we also seek to reduce the cost and the spread of urban sprawl through the promotion of densification policies in both transport planning and the establishment of communities."
The current modal split between private cars and public transport in the province is estimated at 57 percent to 43 percent, resulting, among other things, in congestion and longer travel times.
However, this was going to be over "very soon", according to Jacobs.
Road construction
"As the government, we continue with road construction and maintenance, building 15 kilometres of public transport corridors and upgrading the same length of gravel-to-tar roads last year alone. We have constructed 22 roads in the 20 priority townships."
He added that it was important that public transport was reliable, affordable, safe, accessible and sustainable, in line with the transport department's people-centred approach.
"Implementation of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Scheme; the HOV Lane pilot project; the 2010 transport legacy projects; and the biggest public transport infrastructure investment in 40 years in our country, the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link, demonstrates our commitment to providing sustainable mobility solutions for our communities."
Allocated R25-million for the current financial year, the GTMA will be responsible for developing standards and ensuring compliance; licensing operators; creating an integrated fare system; overseeing traffic management functions; and brokering international and African investment in the province's transport system.
From 2009, public transport operators and service providers will have to comply with norms, standards and regulations laid down by the GTMA to obtain an operating licence. Special permits will also be issued for big events such as the Confederations Cup South Africa 2009™ and the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
Important step
Regarding the launch of the GTMA, the member of the Johannesburg mayoral committee for transport, Rehana Moosajee, said the City supported the introduction of the transport management body, describing it as "an important step forward".
"Most people in the city lament traffic congestion and incidents of road rage on our roads. The launch of the GTMA will help to alleviate such problems."
The City had a number of exciting projects on the cards, like its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, that would go a long way in improving its transport network.
Reverend Motlalepula Chabaku, an ANC member of the Gauteng Legislature, said that as a taxi commuter, she welcomed the introduction of the transport authority but lamented the difficulties that commuters endured every day.
"I am a commuter by choice and I have experienced quite a lot on journeys I make every day from Soweto to town. Commuters need shelters and public utilities like toilets. I hope the GTMA will address these issues," she said.
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