South African public transport: Keep the strategy - review the action plan.

Abstract

Paper presented at the 32nd Annual Southern African Transport Conference 8-11 July 2013 "Transport and Sustainable Infrastructure", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.

In March 2007, Cabinet approved a Public Transport Strategy and its associated Action Plan to improve public transport over a 14-year period, to 2020. The Strategy envisaged two preliminary phases, followed by a nationwide rollout to begin in 2014. This paper suggests that there should be a mid-term review of the Action Plan. The review should adopt the same process as that of the original 2007 Strategy, and culminate in an Indaba late in 2013. The paper considers some matters which might be included in the review. Key existing interests - the minibus-taxi and bus operators - have proved far more difficult to satisfy than had been anticipated. It is reasonable to suppose that similar difficulties and delays will be experienced in other cities and districts where contracts are still to be negotiated. The 2007 Strategy describes its first pillar as being that of effecting significant improvement in current public transport services through a programme of modal upgrading. This element has been largely overlooked but may offer the best opportunity for short-term improvements in public transport. The costs of the process of change are turning out to be higher than had been anticipated. A new source of funding is needed to meet these transformational and transitional costs.