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The provincial government is looking at ways of easing traffic
congestion on Gauteng's roads as part of its efforts during Public
Transport Month.
Public transport should be used for travelling to work, says Ignatius Jacobs, Gauteng MEC for transport, roads and works
CUTTING traffic congestion and safety on the roads top the list of
issues the Gauteng provincial government will address during Public
Transport Month.
Gauteng MEC for public transport, roads and works Ignatius
Jacobs has announced a range of programmes that the department will
roll out to observe the month, including the High Occupancy Vehicle
Lane strategy, safety campaigns, a car free day concert, and a
cleansing ceremony of the Bree Street Taxi Rank.
Public Transport Month, which kicked off on Monday, 1 October,
is a campaign during which national, provincial and local departments
of transport, roads and works hold various activities to encourage
people to make use of public transport. It was launched in 2005.
According to Jacobs, it helped the government to work with
operators and commuters to make public transport systems affordable,
safe, reliable and environmentally sustainable. Speaking to
representatives from the bus and taxi industries and commuter
organisations at the launch of this year's campaign on Monday at
Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Jacobs said, "Public Transport Month has
had a very positive impact on the agenda to improve public transport in
Gauteng province and our country."
Public transport investment
The government was
pouring billions of rands into public transport infrastructure, he
added, citing the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme and the Gautrain
rapid rail link as examples of its commitment to efficient public
transport.
However, Jacobs noted that more still had to be done. "Besides the
numerous programmes currently being implemented, there is much room for
improvement."
"The taxi industry wants to make the 2010 FIFA World Cup a success," says Alpheus Mlalazi, general secretary of the Gauteng National Taxi Alliance
More than 2 000 unroadworthy taxis in Gauteng had been scrapped
under the recapitalisation programme. "There is eagerness in the taxi
industry to replace unroadworthy cars," he said, adding that the
government had to subsidise the taxi industry in order for it to
improve.
Various activities had been lined up for Public Transport
Month, including car free day on 20 October. On this day the government
would encourage people to use public transport instead of private cars.
"During peak hours, commuting to work should be done with public
transport."
High occupancy lanes
In one response to
ever-growing traffic congestion, the department would set up a High
Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane between Southgate Shopping Mall and the
Crown Interchange in the south of Johannesburg.
"Traffic congestion costs the country billions of rand in lost time," Jacobs noted.
There would also be a cleansing ceremony at the Bree Street Taxi
Rank, where several taxi drivers and commuters had been shot in taxi
violence in recent months. "We are making a commitment to our ancestors
that we stop the violence."
The Gauteng National Taxi Alliance (GNTA) has lent its support
to the government's moves to encourage citizens to use public transport
and to set up dedicated lanes.
"Give us dedicated lanes and streets because we are the biggest
public transporters," said Alpheus Mlalazi, the general secretary of
the organisation. The taxi industry also had to be included in the
Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
"We want 2010 to be a success."
Commuters are not satisfied with the current public transport system, says James Mothupi, Chairperson of the Gauteng Commuter Organisation
James Mothupi, the chairperson of the Gauteng Commuter
Organisation, said the current public transport system had a long way
to go to meet commuters' needs. He noted that it was neither integrated
nor user friendly.
"There should be something tangible to address the plight of the disabled," he said.
Mothupi was also worried about the "slow pace" of the Taxi
Recapitalisation Programme. He called on the taxi industry to align
itself with the requirements of the programme and urged the government
to subsidise the industry.
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