Out of all the modes of transport available, Minister of Transport Jeff Radebe highlighted the taxi recapitalisation programme and shortcomings in rail during his department's budget vote in parliament at the weekend.

Plans for the consolidation of passenger rail are already advanced as due-diligence has been completed on Metrorail, Shosholaza Meyl, and the South African Rail Commuter Corporation (Sarcc).

Looking forward to when Metrorail and Sarcc consolidate, Radebe said that the current acting CEO of Metrorail Laurette Modipane will act as CEO of a transitional executive team to look after the new entity.

Following on from this, Shosholoza Meyl will be brought into the new entity.

The department aims to have completed the consolidation process by March next year.

“Legislation to provide the legal basis for the single entity should be introduced in the second half of this year.”

Radebe stressed that, although rail will not solve all of South Africa's public transport problems, it would help relieve high-pressure routes.

The over-burden of the road system by logistics services, says Radebe, has been caused by under-investment in rail over the last three decades.

“Rail has lost significant cargo market share and has died as a viable means of transport in many areas.”

Radebe said that South Africa needed a balance between road and rail, and that airfreight is under used while seaports come with their own set of challenges.

These issues must be tackled and the department has developed a rail and port strategy that will take advantage of what is currently available.

A business plan to deal with the issue should be complete by September under the auspices of a team drawn from the automotive industry logistics managers, Spoornet and others.

This team has identified the East London to Gauteng corridor, which will become a pilot project.

“The objective is to increase profitability, reduce unit costs at East London's port facilities, markedly reduce the logistics costs and time between East London and Pretoria, and remove some of the congestion on the Durban to Gauteng Corridor,” said radebe.

He expects the increased traffic and cost reductions to boost the manufacturing sector and promote economic growth in East London.

This type of thinking could be expanded to other sectors countrywide.

“All of these 'big bang' and the smaller, more nuanced projects, are in the National Freight Logistics Strategy that is about to go to Cabinet, so watch this space.”

It is likely, said Radebe, that responsibility for branch lines could be moved to the department.

The department and Spoornet are the main bodies behind rejuvenation of the branch-line network currently.

He said that the Kei Rail project is the flagship project and lessons learnt are resulting in proposals for Nkwaleni in Kwazulu-Natal and the Douglas to Belmont line in the Northern Cape.

Taxi recapitalisation

Radebe said that the taxi recapitalisation project is progressing and that the safety regulations will be published next month.

Provinces are also currently converting permits into operating licences and permit holders who do not convert by the end of August will forfeit permits.

Scrapping of aged vehicles will start this financial year and strict measures will be put into place to ensure no abuse of the system takes place.

“No mercy will be shown to anyone who tries to score a quick buck through fraudulent or corrupt means.”

The pace of the scrapping process also depends largely on the availability of all types of new vehicles. The rollout plan will be complete by the end of June but pace of scrapping, starting with 'death-traps' first, depends on the availability of new vehicles.

This, however, does not mean that manufacturers should flood the market with vehicles that do not meet standards, cautioned Radebe.

Rural transport gets multifaceted solution

Transport hopes to present the Rural Transport Strategy Framework for comment and implementation next month.

This is a multi-faceted transport development programme that integrates appropriate infrastructure projects such as the Kei Rail, the rural access roads projects as well as the non-motorised transport initiatives like the donkey carts of the Northern Cape, or the Shova Kalula bicycle programme.

“These programmes aim to make rural areas more accessible, and to promote interaction, mobility and access within these areas.”

Sea and air

Shipping is also on the Minister's list of priorities.

The South African Ships Registration Advisory Group is to identify, assess and address the host of technical and financial shortcomings of the existing Ships Register.

Initiatives to be introduced could include the introduction of a tonnage tax.

“Other areas in need of urgent attention are the Ship Registration Act, the Merchant Shipping Act, mortgage-ranking claims and, of great importance, labour issues.

“These changes need to be considered as a package rather than as elements that can stand on their own.”

Radebe said that security-enhancement proposals at airports are being looked at and these will be taken to cabinet imminently.

Concerns over tariffs, regulations and the quality of service provision from several suppliers will be examined.

A priority for the department is to develop the department's internal capacity “so that we earn the respect and appreciation of those we monitor, regulate and exercise oversight”.