JHB Park Station, 23 October 2001
"Mobility is vital to the integration of our society at every level and transport is the hub around which the nation thrives. We see this increasingly at our train stations as taxis, buses and trains all converge to move people, products and goods"
CHAIRPERSON,
AS THE IMBIZO FOCUS WEEK (WHICH USED BE KNOWN AS THE MASAKHANE FOCUS WEEK) DRAWS CLOSER, IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO BE JOINED HERE TODAY BY DISTINGUISHED GUESTS TO LAUNCH YET ANOTHER PRIDE OF OUR NATION, THE NEW 10M4 COACHES.
ALLOW ME TO THANK MR EDDIE LEKOTA, CHAIRPERSON ON THE SARCC BOARD AND THE ACTING MANAGING DIRECTOR, MR BEN VAN DER ROSS FOR ORGANISING THIS WONDERFUL EVENT AND FOR THE INVITATION. I EXTEND MY APPRECIATION TO YOUR STAFF FOR THEIR HARD WORK. I AM SPECIALLY PLEASED TO SEE MR HONEY MATEYA, CEO OF METRORAIL HERE TOGETHER WITH HIS TEAM. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS LAUNCH TODAY IS A BIGGER PROJECT BY GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE SOUTH AFRICAN RAIL COMMUTER CORPORATION (SARCC) TO IMPROVE AND UPGRADE THE COMMUTING EXPERIENCE OF ALL OUR PEOPLE. THESE UPGRADES DO NOT ONLY INVOLVE TRAINS BUT ALSO INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH INCLUDE STATIONS ACROSS OUR COUNTRY.
FOR EXAMPLE, THIS STATION, JOHANNESBURG'S PARK STATION HAS SEEN A MAJOR UPGRADE TO RID IT OF ITS APARTHEID PAST.
IN ADDITION, 72 OTHER STATION UPGRADES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AT A COST OF R532 MILLION ACROSS SOUTH AFRICA. OUR OBJECTIVE OF TRANSPORTING OUR NATION IN COMFORT AND SAFETY WILL CONTINUE AS WE UPGRADE THESE FACILITIES IN ORDER TO ENHANCE ORDINARY PEOPLE'S TRAVEL.
A FURTHER 14 UPGRADE PROJECTS ARE CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS, AT A COST OF R142 MILLION. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE NOW 73 MODAL INTERCHANGES IN OPERATION NATIONWIDE. AN ADDITIONAL TENDER TO THE VALUE OF NEARLY R400 MILLION HAS BEEN AWARDED EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR UPGRADING ROLLING STOCK (WHAT WE ARE SEEING TODAY) AND SIGNALLING EQUIPMENT. ALL THIS IS DONE TO SYMBOLISE THE GOALS OF THE IMBIZO CAMPAIGN.
IMBIZO IS NOT ABOUT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT OR OTHER PEOPLE CAN DO FOR YOU. IT IS ABOUT THE ROLE THAT ALL OF US AS SOUTH AFRICANS CAN AND MUST PLAY IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTRY. WE HAVE INHERITED A NATION DEEPLY DIVIDED BY INEQUALITY IN INCOME, WIDESPREAD UNEMPLOYMENT AND POVERTY. PASSENGER RAIL SERVICES HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED OVER THE YEARS BUT WE WANT TO CHANGE ALL THIS. TODAY'S EVENT BEARS TESTIMONY TO THIS COMMITMENT.
OUR NEW DEMOCRACY GIVES US HOPE FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT WE CAN UNITE WITH THE COMMON PURPOSE OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY LIFE OF ALL PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY.
TRANSPORT IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ANY COMMON PURPOSE CAMPAIGN TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF A PERSON'S LIFE. TODAY WE ARE WITNESSING THE FRUITS OF A DEVOTED AND CARING GOVERNMENT, WHICH UPGRADES AND IMPROVES RAIL SERVICES TO MAKE THEM SAFER AND MORE ATTRACTIVE TO THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO WALK AND COMMUTE THROUGH THEM EVERY DAY.
MOBILITY IS VITAL TO THE INTEGRATION OF OUR SOCIETY AT EVERY LEVEL AND TRANSPORT IS THE HUB AROUND WHICH THE NATION THRIVES. WE SEE THIS INCREASINGLY AT OUR TRAIN STATIONS AS TAXIS, BUSES AND TRAINS ALL CONVERGE TO MOVE PEOPLE, PRODUCTS AND GOODS. INTER-MODAL TRANSPORT IS ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL OBJECTIVES OF MY DEPARTMENT AS IT WILL CREATE A NATIONAL TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE OF ACCESSIBLE, APPROPRIATE FACILITIES THAT PROVIDE EASY ACCESS AND MEET THE PEOPLE'S AND THE COUNTRY'S NEEDS.
BUT THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE EFFECTIVE TRANSPORT SYSTEM. AND THIS IS WHERE WE AS SOUTH AFRICANS NEED TO EMBRACE THE SPIRIT OF IMBIZO. EVERY IMPROVEMENT OF THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM COSTS MONEY.
SO IF WE WANT AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT TRANSPORT SYSTEM WITH SAFE, CLEAN AND WELL-MAINTAINED TRAINS AND STATIONS, WE MUST BE PREPARED TO PAY THE COST.
WE CANNOT EXPECT OUR COUNTRY TO GROW AND PROSPER IF WE WANT A FREE RIDE. THE SIMPLE FACT IS THAT IT IS THE COST OF OUR TICKETS THAT KEEPS THE WHEELS OF OUR TRANSPORT SYSTEM GOING. UPGRADES AND DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS THIS ONE AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY CAN BE ACHIEVED AND MAINTAINED ONLY IF PEOPLE PAY FOR THE SERVICES THEY USE.
DIRECTOR OF CEREMONIES, ALLOW ME A MOMENT TO SPEAK ABOUT RAIL SAFETY. AS YOU ARE ALL AWARE, WE HAVE JUST WITNESSED YET ANOTHER TRAIN ACCIDENT ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON WHEN A SPOORNET GOODS TRAIN DERAILED FROM ITS TRACK JUST OUTSIDE MESSINA IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCE. ACCORDING TO A PRELIMINARY REPORT I HAVE RECEIVED, A RAILWAY BRIDGE WAS BADLY DAMAGED AND EIGHT DIESEL-CARRYING WAGONS OF A ZIMBABWE-BOUND GOODS TRAIN EXPLODED WHEN THIS TRAIN PULLING 30 WAGONS (20 OF WHICH WERE FILLED WITH DIESEL AND TEN OTHERS LADEN WITH CONTAINERS) DERAILED AT LILLIPUT, AT 13H50. SIMILARLY IN COMMUTER RAIL, WE HAVE SEEN A NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS THAT HAVE CAUSED LOSS OF LIFE, INJURY AND GRIEF TO PASSENGERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
IN THIS REGARD, GOVERNMENT HAS WORKED HARD TO COMPLETE DRAFT LEGISLATION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RAIL SAFETY REGULATOR IN SOUTH AFRICA.
OUR TRANSPORT POLICY, WHILST SETTING OUT GENERAL PRINCIPLES ON RAIL POLICY, HAS NEVER DELVED INTO THE QUESTION IN ENOUGH DETAIL. WE HAVE THEREFORE SET UP A RAIL POLICY PROCESS THAT WILL RESULT IN THE ADOPTION OF A RAIL TRANSPORT POLICY.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RAIL SAFETY REGULATOR WILL TAKE THE FORM OF AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY WITH THE NECESSARY LEGISLATIVE POWER, ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITY AND HUMAN RESOURCE CAPACITY TO EFFECTIVELY MONITOR AND MANAGE RAIL SAFETY RISK, TAKING ACTION WHEREVER APPROPRIATE TO ENSURE THAT SUCH RISK REMAINS FIRMLY WITHIN INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTABLE NORMS. WE EXPECT THE NEW BODY TO BE FUNCTIONING BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
ANOTHER POLICY SHIFT WE ARE PURSUING IS THE BALANCE BETWEEN ROAD AND RAIL. THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED A CABINET DECISION TO SUPPORT A SHIFT TOWARDS A BETTER BALANCE BETWEEN ROAD AND RAIL IN BOTH FREIGHT AND PASSENGER TRANSPORT. THIS WILL BE A LONG-TERM PROCESS, BEGINNING WITH ACTIONS TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD - MAKING RAIL TRANSPORT MORE ATTRACTIVE WHILE IMPOSING AND ENFORCING STRICT CONTROLS ON ROAD TRANSPORT.
THIS WILL REQUIRE ACTIONS TO HARMONISE MAXIMUM AXLE-WEIGHT LIMITS AND OVERLOAD CONTROL STRATEGIES WITHIN SADC, WHICH THEN NEED TO BE BACKED UP BY TIGHTER LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUNITIVE SANCTIONS FOR BOTH FREIGHT AND PUBLIC PASSENGER VEHICLE OVERLOADING.
IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE DOWNGRADING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT SECTOR. WE KNOW THAT IT PLAYS A VITAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ROLE IN OUR COUNTRY, AND THAT MANY ASPECTS OF THE SERVICES IT OFFERS CAN NEVER BE REPLACED BY RAIL. BUT WE WANT A RATIONAL APPROACH THAT PUTS THE INTERESTS OF THE NATION, THE ECONOMY, THE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE PASSENGER BEFORE ANY SECTORAL INTEREST. PROGRESS HAS ALREADY BEEN RECORDED IN THIS REGARD.
IN CONCLUSION, THE NEW DESIGN, 10M4 IS RADICALLY ADVANCED FROM THE 5M2A DESIGN. IN EFFECT PRESENTS THE COMMUTER AND DRIVER WITH A BRAND NEW TRAIN. THE NEW DESIGN HAS IMPROVED SAFETY FEATURES FOR DRIVERS, ENHANCED FACILITIES FOR COMMUTERS AND HAS PROVIDED FOR A MORE COST-EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT INVOLVES THE REFURBISHMENT OF 176 COACHES - 88 IN BOTH CAPE TOWN AND GAUTENG.
THE PROGRAMME WILL SEE THE PRESENT CLASS 5M2A COACHES UPGRADED TO CLASS 10M COACHES ENSURING AN ADDITIONAL 30-YEARS OF COACH LIFE.
THIS ENTAILS A COMPLETE NEW BODY, THE REPLACEMENT OF THE OLD RHEOSTATIC POWER CONTROLLER WITH A NEW SEMICONDUCTOR POWER CONTROLLER ("CHOPPER"), A NEW DRIVER'S CAB LAYOUT WITH ENHANCED VISIBILITY, AN IMPROVED SALOON AREA AND FITTINGS AND THE GENERAL OVERHAUL OF ALL OTHER RE-USED OLD EQUIPMENT.
THE PRESENT REPLACEMENT VALUE OF THE SARCC'S FLEET OF 4 500 COACHES IS ABOUT R40 BILLION, BASED ON NEW COACH PRICES WITHIN A 40 YEAR HORIZON. THIS REFURBISHMENT PROJECT IS AN INNOVATIVE MEANS OF REPLACING THE OLD COACHES, SOME OF WHICH HAVE HAD A SERVICE LIFE AS HIGH AS 50 YEARS.
CONTRACTORS, ADTRANZ (WITH MAIN SUBCONTRACTORS TRANSWERK AND DORBYL) AND THE CONSORTIUM OF SIEMENS AND UNION CARRIAGE & WAGON, WERE APPOINTED EARLY LAST YEAR TO REFURBISH THE COACHES.
FINALLY, AS I SAID BEFORE, WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OUR PEOPLE. FROM GOVERNMENT SIDE, WE REMAIN COMMITTED AND WILLING. THANK YOU ONCE MORE FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
THANK YOU.