Public transport in Gauteng still at the back of the queue

12 June 2017

An analysis of the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport’s budget for the 2017/2018 financial year confirms that the department has once again shelved the issue of public transport in the province.

The cost of public transport has escalated, creating a dilemma for households which are spending above budget on transportation to and from work.

The department’s plans to expand the Gautrain network to other regions in the province is estimated to take at least two decades, while the accessibility to the Gautrain by many poor residents in the province remains under debate

The Gautrain expansion will only materialise in the long term but many residents in the province urgently require a short term solution.

The unreliability of the Metrorail urban rail network leads to many commuters refusing to use the service.

The department must engage with PRASA around its crumbling services and find an amicable solution to increase Metrorail usage.

Commuters have no alternative and bus services to and from outlying areas of many Gauteng municipalities are, in many cases, shockingly inadequate and shoddily managed.

Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi would do well to show some leadership, in demonstrating that his department is responsive to the fact that the commuting public faces many challenges and that a solution must be sought in order to prevent further strike action in the industry.

Issued by Justus de Goede, DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Transportation, 12 June 2017