Latest news with #Gautrain
The Citizen
23-07-2025
- The Citizen
Joburg moves to shut down illegal bus ranks in CBD
Joburg officials and transport stakeholders are working to shut down illegal bus stations disrupting CBD order and public safety. The City of Johannesburg is working around the clock to address the troubling issue of illegal bus ranks and stations in the city's central business district (CBD). Benny Makgoga, the city's director of marketing and communications, revealed their plan while responding to the transport sector. Players in the sector had raised concerns about the dangers and negative impact posed by the illegal bus stations that have emerged in the city. JIFI constructed to relocate illegal bus ranks 'The City of Joburg has fully constructed the Johannesburg International Transport Interchange (JITI) facility in the Joburg CBD for the relocation of all informal bus ranks and stations. 'The relocation process that involves a public participation process and direct engagements with the transport stakeholders is currently in place,' said Makgoga. ALSO READ: Call on Joburg to act on illegal bus stations 'The finalisation and conclusion of the relocation process of the informal bus ranks and bus stations to Johannesburg International Transport Interchange will provide action to close all informal facilities.' Even though Makgoga said they were fighting against the problem, he conceded that it was difficult for the city to manage and control informal bus operations that have occupied spaces throughout the CBD. It is for this reason that the city has constructed one centralised Johannesburg International Transport Interchange facility for proper management and control of bus operations in the CBD, he said. Accessible and convenient public facility 'JITI is an accessible and convenient public facility for long-distance and cross-border transport and will enable commuters to connect to the other public transport services such as Rea Vaya BRT, Metrobus, Gautrain, local minibus taxis and buses at Park Station.' African Unite Borders Bus Trucks Association chair Phumudzo Mukhwathi was one leading member of the organisations that had been calling on the government to address the problem. ALSO READ: Six killed in school bus bombing in SW Pakistan Mukhwathi said there were two illegal bus stations in Braamfontein and another one near Park Station. He said the illegitimate facilities were being owned and operated by Zimbabwean nationals who collaborated with some prominent local figures. 'We will be happy if the government attend to our request and make sure that these illegal operations are closed down because they are interrupting businesses that operate legitimately. Many illegal activities taking place 'To tell you the truth, there are many illegal and criminal activities taking place there. 'We have been fighting against this for so many years, but the authorities seem not to be serious about dealing with it. ALSO READ: Rea Vaya: Saftu calls for govt to protect transport industry 'We are planning to take the legal route to force them to attend to the matter,' said Mukhwathi. He said he was worried that the owners of the problematic facilities were operating in public without any fear. 'This is unfair competition because there are no rules in the illegal bus stations and we were also reliably informed that some of the buses using these stations are transporting illegal things from South Africa to Zimbabwe,' he said. Union investigates matter Mukhwathi said there were allegations last year that some of the buses were using fraudulent permits and they had alerted the police. South African Transport and Allied Workers Union spokesperson Amanda Tshemese promised her organisation would also investigate the matter and work with relevant authorities to address it. ALSO READ: Relief as bus strike in North West ends 'You can't have illegal companies or immigrants operating in South Africa when you have millions of South Africans who are unemployed,' said Tshemese.
The Citizen
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Smart number plates and 25-year vision: Here is Gauteng's roads budget
MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela stated that only 47% of Gauteng's provincial roads were considered to be in a fair condition. The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRT) is embarking on a decades-long journey. This is the goal of MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, who outlined the department's budget and goals for the upcoming financial year and beyond. For the past two years, GDRT have been working on a revised 25-year Integrated Transport Master Plan (ITMP25), which it hopes will gain further traction in the next quarter. Revolutionary spirit The MEC began her budget speech on Wednesday with a quote from Nelson Mandela, two days before the nation celebrates Mandela Day. 'It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both the pain and the progress of our past,' she said. Diale-Tlabela then went on to praise Soviet leaders Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky for building 'the Red Army from a train car'. The MEC saluted the communist pair's vision of using transport to propel the 'movement of history'. 'Without control of transport, there can be no control of production, no coordination of labour, and no foundation for planning,' stated Diale-Tlabela. 'The final ITMP25, after an extensive consultative process, will be submitted in the second quarter of the current financial year to the Premier and Executive Council for approval,' she explained. The ITMP25's core aims, among others, include linking economic zones with reliable transport infrastructure, travel demand management, enhanced digitisation, and decarbonisation. Budget of almost R10 billion To achieve these goals, the department will have R9.7 billion of state funding at its disposal. Planning, construction and maintenance will be allocated R2.7 billion and R672 million will be earmarked for administrative functions. R3 billion will go towards public transport and the funding of 16 subsidised bus contracts across four municipalities. A further R2.2 billion will be allocated to the Gautrain system — a service where roughly 9 200 people have successfully accessed their 50% Gautrain discount in 2025. Smart solutions The length of roads under the department's jurisdiction total 5 593km and include 664 bridges and 450 major culverts. The MEC conceded that only 47% of surfaced roads under the department control were in a fair condition while 100% of the 1 232km of gravel roads were in a poor condition. Despite this, Diale-Tlabela said the department achieved 84% of the annual targets and has recently identified 54 critical roads across five regions for upgrades. Other upcoming initiatives include the rollout of smart licensing centres throughout the province and smart traceable number plates, which will feature QR codes and tamper-evident decals. 'Given that a vast majority of criminal acts involve vehicles with falsified number plates, this initiative is crucial for law enforcement agencies to effectively trace and apprehend offenders,' stated the MEC. Monitoring of the smart infrastructure will be done through a centralised command and control hub which could be operational by the end of the financial year, subject to procurement processes. A rapid response unit has also been established to 'facilitate timeous interventions' to problems raised by communities. Human capital Diale-Tlabela noted that an advanced recruitment plan was in effect to fill 68 key vacancies within the department. Human resources have also been bolstered through the hiring of 81 interns working in various branches of the department, which serves as a dual skills development and empowerment project. The MEC said that the department aimed for 50% equal gender representation among staff, noting that the current split was 59% male and 41% female, with 0.6% of the total comprising persons with disabilities. 'As part of professionalising the sector, the Candidacy programme is one of the instruments that are being utilised to ensure that there is long-term technical capacity in the organisation,' the MEC concluded. NOW READ: JRA allocated just 1% of amount needed to fix Johannesburg's roads
The Citizen
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Numsa considers downing tools as wage talks with Gautrain deadlock
Numsa has criticised Gautrain management's wage proposal as out of touch with South Africa's high cost of living, calling for a 7% raise instead. National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) members march to Comair offices in Kempton Park on 15 March 2022. Picture: Michel Bega As Gautrain celebrates its 15th anniversary on Tuesday, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) says it will be balloting its members to determine whether it will be going ahead with a strike at the Gauteng rapid rail network. This comes after wage increase negotiations with Bombela Operating Company – which manages the Gautrain – reached a deadlock. Numsa rejects 4.2% increase offer Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said in a statement that the union was granted a certificate to strike, which means it can give Gautrain 48 hour notice to down tools. 'Our members rejected the employer's offer of [a] 4.2% wage increase [for] Gautrain workers because this is not a meaningful increase,' Hlubi-Majola said. 'We are demanding [a] 7% increase across the board. While management clings to the Consumer Price Index as a benchmark, workers are living in a country where the cost of survival has skyrocketed far beyond the consumer price index (CPI),' she added. Question of affordability According to the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group, the average food basket now costs an estimated R5 443. Citing this information released by the non-profit organisation in June, Hlubi-Majola said Gautrain's offer is paltry. She said the lowest-paid Gautrain worker, a cleaner, earns approximately R9 000 and can't be expected to absorb the increases with a 4.2% increase. ALSO READ: Numsa to meet Nissan SA over reported Rosslyn plant closure Workers 'deserve a living wage' This is not just a wage dispute, Hlubi-Majola said; it's a question of dignity and fairness. 'The demands we are making are reasonable given that the cost of living is extremely high. This is why we say CPI increases are not enough – workers at Gautrain deserve a living wage,' she said. 'Gautrain's world-class performance with over 7.9 million passengers annually and a 95% punctuality rate is only made possible by the very workers now being told to 'tighten their belts' while executives remain insulated in air-conditioned offices. 'The same executives are rewarded with generous packages, when it is ordinary workers whose labour is exploited in order to generate Gautrain's world-class performance.' Hlubi-Majola said Numsa's demand for a 7% increase is a modest, reasonable adjustment that reflects the real cost of living in South Africa today. Rather than a luxury, it's a lifeline, she said. Numsa calls for meaningful offer 'We call on the Bombela Operating Company and the Gautrain Management Agency to put a meaningful offer on the table. Workers are not asking for miracles; they are asking for economic justice. We all have a responsibility to end wage inequality, and that includes the bosses at Gautrain.' Gautrain, which was launched in 2010, has completed over 200 million passenger trips and employs approximately 1 200 people. NOW READ: Outa calls for 'open cards' amid Gautrain changes
IOL News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
How strong leadership and coordination mitigate reputational risks during crises
Senior government communicators say strong leadership support and internal coordination are crucial for managing reputational risks during times of crisis. Image: Supplied Senior government communicators say strong leadership support and internal coordination are crucial for managing reputational risks during times of crisis. This was the key message from a panel discussion on crisis communication at the Social Media Summit for Government, the University of Johannesburg, on Tuesday. The panel included Major General Nonkululeko Phokane, Head of Communications and Liaison at SAPS, Albi Modise, Senior Executive for Communication and Marketing at Gautrain and Cleopatra Mosana, Head of Communication at National Treasury. The summit brought together senior communication officials from the public sector to explore how digital platforms and social media affect public trust and crisis management. Phokane explained how SAPS manages communication across more than 1,100 police stations, noting that digital spaces add complexity. Phokane explained how SAPS manages communication across more than 1,100 police stations, noting that digital spaces add complexity. Image: Supplied Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading "In the midst of your social media interaction, whenever incidents happen, remember that it is one space that is not even policed," Phokane said. "Social media space is one where every citizen becomes a journalist. And in investigations, it then becomes a call for us to be able to strike that balance from time to time". She pointed to the Stillfontein hostage situation, where 'at least every second hour, there was a communication update,' helping to manage public perception. Modise emphasised the importance of clear communication in protecting public confidence in services like Gautrain. "Look, I mean, I've said to those who care to listen that the success of communicating is largely dependent on the principles you have, "Modise said. "You can be the most erudite communicator, but if your principles don't buy into the communication area of work, you have a serious problem. When there's a crisis, we need to be clear about who handles the communication. If the principal passes on to you as a head of communications or spokesperson, half the battle is won" Mosana added that trust and respect between communicators and leadership are key. "We coordinate. If I have to reflect on what happened on February 19, when the nation didn't know that the budget was going to be postponed, that collaboration and coordination that we did with GCIS made a difference to everyone because of the speed with which we communicated," Mosana said. "And key to it is that I have a trust in the principles that I'm working in. So the relationship is open. It's a very respectful relationship. And it espouses the values of the National Treasury with its honesty and transparency". IOL
Sydney Morning Herald
18-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Utilitarian at best: The international airport the designers forgot
The airport OR Tambo International Airport (JNB), the airport of South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg. The flight QF64 from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Sydney. The arrival Johannesburg is heavily reliant on cars – but there's a Gautrain line direct from Sandton in the northern part of the city to the airport (15 minutes). I get to OR Tambo a day before my international flight, via air from Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport (FAHS), a flying hour north-east of Jo'burg where I've been on safari in Kruger National Park. That Airlink service arrives at Terminal B and I spend the night at the excellent Intercontinental OR Tambo Airport, conveniently situated opposite the Terminal A International Arrivals Hall. This is Africa's second-busiest airport (behind Cairo) serving both Jo'burg and the capital Pretoria. It is the only one outside the Middle East to host flights to and from all inhabited continents. The look This is the international airport that designers forgot. It's a lot better than it was before the 2010 FIFA World Cup-inspired expansion and upgrade but as important airports around the world continue to up their user experience game, OR Tambo is utilitarian at best. It's plain, uninspiring and sprawling. However, this is a country with well-documented economic struggles. Utilitarian doesn't mean completely terrible, which it really could be, given South Africa's infrastructure crisis. Check in
