Gauteng Department of Roads & Transport Archives

May 27, 2016

DA Debates 2016/17 Gauteng Department Of Roads And Transport Budget

Speech by: Neil Campbell MPL

“Roads and Transport budget will not get Gauteng moving”

Despite some departmental successes in the past year this budget fails to address urgent problems.
Corruption lurks in the Transport Department yet a budget plan to eliminate it is lacking.
The West Rand’s inferior transportation infrastructure requires long overdue improvement. But is Gautrain expansion the answer? Gautrain tickets cost more than PRASA’s and are unaffordable to most commuters as the recent Household Transport Survey revealed.
Premiere Makhura talks opposition to corruption yet it finds refuge in the Transport Department, right under his nose.

The full speech can be obtained here.

Speech by: Justus de Goede MPL

“Public transport not meeting demands”

What happened to the “radical” transformation we heard so much about over the last year? The Department’s spending framework for the year certainly doesn’t reflect that.
Subsidies are falling behind operating costs and new solutions will have to be found to keep routes from being abandoned.
Research estimates that for each Rand of investment spent on public transport, between R 4 and R 9 in benefit resulted.
This should be a wake-up call – our public transport systems are not keeping pace with strong and rising demand and need urgent attention.

The full speech can be obtained here.

Media Enquiries:

Neil Campbell MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport

082 387 2540

Justus de Goede MPL

DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Transportation

060 558 8305

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December 3, 2015

DA Debates Gauteng 2014/15 Roads & Transport Annual Report

Speech by: Neil Cambell MPL

“Concerted and proactive departmental efforts key to achieving road safety targets”

The underfunded Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport must prioritise projects by value for money
Tough dialogue must take place in order to deal with taxi violence, flouting of traffic laws, operating licence delays and taxi subsidisation on the agenda.
The DA is pleased with planned revitalisation projects as rail must become the backbone of passenger and freight transport.
Arbitrary bus contract renewals must stop and a real route and subsidy needs-analysis and longer contracts which allow bus recapitalisation must start.
To obtain a licence many would-be drivers bribe officials who allow untested drivers loose on our roads while un-roadworthy vehicles are passed by corrupt testers

The full speech can be obtained here.

Speech by: Justus de Goede MPL

“Public transport crucial to efficient Roads & Transport department”

The Province has to take the lead in assisting municipalities to cope with rising demand for services.
Gauteng has a backlog of 10 000 transport operating licences and officials have lost hope with no catch- up plan.
The Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works has invaluable lessons and support for the Gauteng Department, however all these efforts will be in vain without the necessary commitment and dynamism from leadership.
At the root of taxi violence is a tangled history of incompetence, corruption and open contempt for the law.
Public transport is essential to this province and it is very concerning that a Committee visit to a Johannesburg testing facility revealed that almost 70% of heavy vehicles tested had potential lethal flaws.

The full speech can be obtained here.

Speech by: Graham Gersbach MPL

“Residents need accessible ways of reporting road infrastructure issues”

The residents of Bonaero Park, Bredell and neighbouring suburbs have expressed their thanks for the on-going rehabilitation of the lighting at the Atlas Road off ramp.
The department should strengthen relations with municipalities in order to provide a simple and accessible process of reporting road infrastructural issues.

The full speech can be obtained here.

Media enquiries:

Dr Neil Campbell MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport

082 387 2540

Justus de Goede MPL
DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Roads & Transport

060 558 8305

Graham Gersbach MPL

DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Roads

060 556 4346

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March 9, 2015

Gauteng Transport Department Powerless Against Corrupt Officials

The CEO for the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRAT), Mr Roland Swartz, has admitted to the Gauteng Legislature’s committee of inquiry in to taxi licensing that the department has had no capability to investigate or prosecute corrupt officials.

Swartz stated to me that his department had been unable to prosecute or convict any official in the Department’s Transport Operating License Administration Bodies (TOLABs) – the organ for controlling taxi routes and operating licenses – despite acknowledging that the TOLABs are rife with fraud and corruption.

He stated that recently a fraud and corruption unit had been established, but that it had yet to secure any convictions.

The department has relied purely on whistle-blowers to identify corrupt officials, but when individuals did report instances of corruption – at much risk to themselves, reported cases had not resulted in any prosecutions.

Swartz admitted that the systems his department has to rely on, which are run by the National Department of Transport, are woefully slow, inadequate and unable to effectively deal with the flow of applications in Gauteng.

The Auditor-General has often commented on the inadequacy of these systems.

Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi must engage with National Transport Minister, Dipuo Peters, to ensure that the systems are fully operational and responsive.

If left unchecked, corruption in this department will continue unabated.

Media enquiries:

Dr Neil Campbell MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport

082 387 2540

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March 4, 2015

Gauteng’s ineffective bus subsidy killing off public transport

Inefficiently utilised bus subsidies granted directly to Gauteng by the National Department of Transport (NDOT) have started to have a detrimental effect on bus operating companies – and ultimately bus commuters in the province.

The situation, created by the Department’s system of using short-term funding, for monthly contracts and annual contracts, has made long-term planning by bus operators virtually impossible.

For years the DA has emphasised the point that has now created a huge problem for many of the 80 000 commuters who use buses every day.

Companies like PUTCO have been incurring losses and rising operating costs have now simply made operations on many routes unsustainable.

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRT)or even the municipalities should administer the subsidy grant , which, as international best practice has indicated , is a better targeted and much more efficient way of applying the subsidy.

PUTCO will be followed by other operators who cannot continue to operate at a loss.

NDOT and GDRT must now pay attention to representations by bus operators before a total breakdown of bus services occurs.

At a recent meeting of the Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Roads and Transport, bus operators, including PUTCO, voiced their frustration about the subsidy system and called on MEC Ismail Vadi, to add his voice to the reasonable suggestions from these important players in the transport industry.

Gauteng is the first province to feel the backlash from an outdated and bureaucratic system and should be at the forefront of suggesting solutions to NDOT Minister Dipuo Peters.

While Minister Peters spends all her time and energy attempting to force e-tolls on residents of Gauteng, pressing public transport issues fall through the cracks to the detriment of the province’s residents.

Media enquiries:
Justus de Goede MPL
DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Transport
060 558 8305

February 25, 2015

Clayville Ext 45 residents none the wiser about improved infrastructure

Gauteng MEC for Housing and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, has pronounced noble intentions to improve the living conditions of residents of Clayville Ext 45, Ekurhuleni, but has failed to provide detailed plans as to how this is to be done.

In a written reply, the MEC stated that 3 384 stands in Clayville Ext 45 were to be developed providing for 200 single residential RDP units, 1 704 High Density Walk-up units, 380 rental units and 1 100 GAP / FLISP units (for persons not qualifying for RDP or bonded units).

Beneficiaries of these plans include residents of the nearby Madelakufa 1 & 2 Informal Settlements, Freedom Square and applicants on the Tembisa housing waiting list.

Whilst the reply stated that schools, parks, medical facilities, roads and transport facilities were being planned – no detail of these facilities was provided.

The nearby Mpumelelo Primary School, designed for 1 800 learners, has an enrolment in excess of 2 300 yet is still housed in temporary facilities.

Gauteng Premier, David Makhura, mentioned in his State of the Province Address that Clayville Ext 45 is one of the areas included in the delivery of more than 100,000 housing units in the next 5 years.

However, there are still no details as to what is planned.

My colleague, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, Khume Ramulifho MPL, and I will address a public meeting on Wednesday, 4 March, 2015 at the Olifantsfontein Community Centre at 19h00 to provide feedback to the community on the DA’s education campaign.

Educational needs are critical to sustainable human settlements.

The DA will continue to ensure that the needs of the residents are addressed effectively and are not lost in the mists of cheap talk.

Media enquiries:
Graham Gersbach MPL
DA Spokesperson on Roads
060 556 4346

February 25, 2015

Bungled legal processes keep Gauteng’s roads in the dark

A service level agreement, to be signed in December 2014, ensuring the lights on Gauteng’s freeways would be adequately maintained has still not been ratified by the South African Roads Agency (SANRAL) and the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRAT).

This was revealed in a Roads and Transport committee meeting held at the Provincial Legislature.

This agreement would ensure that SANRAL would repair and maintain lights on Provincial Roads including the R24 (Albertina Sisulu freeway) from Johannesburg to O.R Tambo International Airport and the Atlas Road off-ramp from the R21.

The lights on the R24 have not been working for close on a year now, and according to residents the lights on the Provincial section of the Atlas Road off-ramp been a problem for over 6 years.

Reasons given for the delay include:

The agreements have been referred back to both the Legal Departments of the Gauteng Provincial Government and SANRAL for further negotiation;
The “as built drawings” for the design of the Atlas Road off-ramp when the R21 was handed over by GDRAT to SANRAL were outdated and did not reflect the current configuration of this off ramp;
Sections of road inclusive of the P40 and the section to where the lighting type changes should have initially been handed over to SANRAL.

In the meantime, whilst GDRT and SANRAL sort out their past mistakes, and the legal departments are sitting on the draft agreement, no maintenance and repairs are being done to any lighting on provincial roads across Gauteng.

Residents therefore are at risk of motor vehicle accidents due to poor lighting – while crimes at off ramps like Atlas Road continue to escalate.
Media enquiries:
Graham Gersbach MPL
DA Spokesperson on Roads
060 556 4346

February 24, 2015

Blockages at licencing centres should be easily removed

Following the problems experienced at licensing centres across Gauteng, Centurion in particular, the DA conducted a follow up visit to the facility.

Although a general improvement in efficiency and staff attitudes seems to have taken place, the biggest single disruption in the licencing procedure was experienced at the eye-test station.

The majority of testing machines were unmanned leading to long delays and frustration.

This is a simple organisational problem, not beyond the capacity of management to fix.

The breakdown of these facilities has negative impact on the economy as applicants often have to leave work leading to down time.

It is not uncommon for employers to have to give their staff up to three days off to visit the licencing centres.

Unpaid leave is often the norm.

What should be a quick routine operation turns into a frustrating and time-consuming exercise.

This applies equally to school learners and students who lose out on precious class and study time.

Inefficiency in the licencing system impacts negatively on both municipal and provincial revenues, as a large percentage of fees obtained in the licencing and testing process reverts to municipal coffers with the rest going to the Province.

Delays in the process inevitably slow down the revenue flow.

There should be an environment of trust and confidence between officials and the public, who ultimately pay their salaries.

The situation in a number of licencing centres unnecessarily erodes this relationship, making the corrective steps which should be taken all the more urgent.

Media enquiries:

Justus de Goede MPL

DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Transport

060 558 8305

February 19, 2015

Expired driving permits highlight law enforcement failure

Reports by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) indicating that 366 761 heavy duty and public transport operators are on Gauteng’s roads with expired professional driving permits is an indictment on law enforcement in the province.

Drivers of heavy duty and public transport vehicles require these permits to prove their ability to operate these vehicles.

Gauteng is second only to KwaZulu-Natal when it comes to road fatalities and experiences an ever increasing number of road violations.

Despite laws being in place, it is clear that current law enforcement structures are failing.

As a result, and what is clear from the startling number of expired professional driving permits, is that compliance and regard for the law is at an all-time low.

The Gauteng Provincial Government needs to take decisive action.

What it must do is move the Gauteng Traffic Police force from the Department of Community Safety, and place it back under control of the Department of Roads and Transport.

The DA has for a long time raised this issue with Roads and Transport MEC, Ismail Vadi, and Community Safety MEC, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane.

We will continue to pressurise the MEC, as well as Gauteng Premier, David Makhura, to heed our calls in ensuring not only compliance – but also effective road law enforcement which ensures the safety of all road users.

Media enquiries:
Dr Neil Campbell MPL
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport
082 387 2540

February 18, 2015

Gautrain precincts remain hotspots for criminals

Yesterday a Gauteng Legislature staff member was robbed at gun-point of his computer, smart-phone and wallet by five thugs.

Whilst there is unfortunately nothing unusual about such incidents in South Africa, the fact is that numerous people are being mugged on an ongoing basis right outside the Gautrain Park station.

Several GPL members and staff have already been subjected to similar acts of violent robbery.

Errol Braithwaite, the Bombela spokesperson, has stated that the contract with Bombela’s security company precludes security officers from operating outside the Gautrain stations- albeit only a few feet from Gautrain property.

The police, as usual, seem to be incapable of deploying undercover officers to identify and arrest the perpetrators.

The total inability or unwillingness of the SAPS and Bombela to address this crime issue is totally unacceptable.

Public transport is rightly identified as the only solution to traffic congestion – but an absolute requirement for efficient public transport is the safety of the commuters it carries.

The problem is compounded when existing public transport remains unreliable – as has been the case with the recent Rea Vaya bus strikes.

As a result of the strike, Rea Vaya commuters are forced to use the Gautrain bus service, creating delays and overcrowding, leaving many no other options but to walk.

The DA calls on the Gauteng Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS, Lieutenant General Lesetja Mothiba, and Bombela to take immediate steps to stop the daylight muggings outside Gautrain stations.

Media enquiries:
Neil Campbell MPL
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport
082 387 2540