Minister Radebe, Local Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan, Gauteng MEC for Public Transport, Roads and Works Ignatius Jacobs, City’s Executive Mayor Amos Masondo and Head of the City's 2010 unit Sibongile Mazibuko, along with an entourage of local and international media embarked on a daylong tour on Tuesday.
The minister has given the N17 Highway, the Doornfontein Train Station, the Ellis Park Precinct and the Jourbert Park projects a thumbs up saying the developments are well on schedule to be completed before the tournament.
Site managers at the venues also assured the minister that the projects would be completed on time and within specified budget.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the tour at the Southern Sun Greyston Hotel in Sandton, Radebe said South Africa is awash with excitement and activity.
“We are now 759 days before kick-off of the biggest sporting event, and South Africa is buzzing with excitement and construction activity.”
“As we count down, it is imperative that we take time to look at the progress we are making and share it with the world in order to spread the sense of excitement that is being experienced in South Africa, he said.
MEC Ignatius Jacobs lauded as “unprecedented and massive” the Department of Transport’s expenditure in the country’s transit system in recent years.
“What was spent in transport infrastructure and public transport systems in this country 20 to 30 years ago and what is being spent now is unprecedented, in fact it’s massive if you compare and contrast with the two periods I have indicated,” he said.
The Government is investing over R360-billion in the transport system as part of the R400-billion plus infrastructure investment programme over the medium term. The investment is strategically spread across the various modes of transport, and inter-modal interfaces between the modes with the intention of modernising the transportation system, improving safety and ensuring rapid and seamless mobility of people and goods.
According to the Minister, the road system is getting over R70-billion of investment; airports are getting R19-billion; commuter rail is getting R16-billion; 2010 specific interventions have been allocated R13.6-billion; and flagship transport projects such as the Gautrain and the Gauteng Freeway Scheme cost R26-billion and R23-billion respectively.
In addition, the N17 Nasrec Link will cost costs R420-million and the full scale Bus Rapid Transit System has a total cost of R2-billion.
The next leg of the 2010 Transport Roadshow is going to take place in Cape Town later this month.
By Simangaliso Zwane
From sa2010.gov.za
