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Industry players talk transport
- Details
- 17 July 2012
Transport industry players from across the region gathered at the Southern African Transport Conference, where they discussed challenges to movement on the sub-continent.
SOUTHERN Africa’s transport challenges were discussed at the 31st Southern African Transport Conference (SATC), held at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research International Convention Centre in Pretoria.
The conference, which was supported by the national Department of Transport and Transportation Research of the USA, took place from 9 to 12 July, with the theme “Getting Southern Africa to work”. It was widely attended by transport experts, non-governmental organisations, municipal, provincial and national government authorities, academics, researchers, students and policy- and decision-makers.
International and national experts shared their experiences on running bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, which were the highlight of the discussion. In his keynote address, Dayo Mobereola, the managing director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, said the introduction of the BRT system in the Nigerian city improved traffic.
Traffic congestion is a daily problem in Lagos, where it is common for people to spend six hours a day getting to and from work.
Mobereola emphasised that legislative, institutional and management changes were essential before real impact on public transport and integration issues could be achieved. “Having a clear vision and mission will provide focus and direction to institutional activities.”
He pointed out that there was a need for institutions to come up with a policy that would meet the needs of the masses and shift focus from private car use to public transport.
Rehana Moosajee, Joburg’s portfolio head of transport pointed out the changes that Rea Vaya had brought to the city. “In the past affordable and efficient public transport was unavailable to vast numbers of commuters who were forcefully settled on the outskirts by the apartheid government,” she explained.
She added that BRT had made a profound effect on the movement of people within the city. “The system enjoys the confidence of the user and promotes a vision for better life for all,” she said, emphasising the need to focus on the end user and depoliticising transport issues.
“The discrepancies between various transport modes are massive, it is something we need to work on,” said the transport portfolio head.
Moosajee added that the City will make use of the local industry to produce more buses for the phase 1B route. Phase 1B starts in Noordgesig and travels through Pennyville and New Canada, along Highgate Road, Stanley, Kingsway and Empire Road, to Parktown and up to the Metro Centre in Braamfontein, and along Rissik Street. It joins Phase 1A in downtown Joburg.
“We are very keen on maximising local content thereby creating jobs,” she said.
Melissa Whitehead, Cape Town’s executive director of transport, said the city had embarked on an integrated public transport strategy that aimed to roll out a unified, high-quality service to all communities with the focus on infrastructure.
“Historically, there has been a number of fundamental problems that have resulted in the lack of achievement of an integrated transport system, many of which can be addressed by the city of Cape Town through the roll out in a comprehensive manner in accordance with the National Land Transport Act, 2009.”
Bongani Kupe of Axios Consulting spoke of the importance of recognising associations as the legitimate structures in the taxi industry. “The formalisation process of the taxi industry should allow the majority to participate in the economic prosperity of the country.”
He emphasised the importance of providing tools that would allow the majority to create wealth.
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