Department of Public Transport, Roads and Works

Departmental achievements during 2007/08 Financial Year

09 July 2008

Background

After the Department received a disclaimer from the Auditor-General in the 2005-06 financial year, MEC Ignatius Jacobs came up with what became known as the Turn Around Strategy (TAS), which was an internal intervention to streamline administrative and management control mechanisms. The TAS was meant to rigorously review the departmental systems. The results of this intervention were a clean audit in the subsequent report by the Auditor-General in the 2007/08 financial year. Other notable achievements in the 2007 include:

CAPEX projects

R1 billion was awarded on implementation of CAPEX and EPWP projects.

Successful completion of over 80 CAPEX projects has resulted in an increased number of people in Gauteng having access to health, education, social development, sport and recreation, tourism and agricultural services. It is such infrastructure development projects that fights poverty and builds safe, secure and sustainable communities;

Job Creation

Over 15 000 jobs created through public works, road infrastructure and maintenance and EPWP projects, with mainly women, youth and people with disabilities being the major beneficiaries. EPWP projects on their own created over 1 200 people with disabilities.
4 700 local direct jobs and 25 400 direct, indirect and induced jobs were created in 2007/8, from implementation of the Gautrain Project;

Gautrain project management and administration

Successful oversight management role in the construction of the Gautrain project, with more than R1 89 billion coming from the Departmental allocated budget into the project in 2007. A large percentage of this allocation ensured that the Gautrain Management Agency implements government's policy directives around the BBBEE and SMME development programme in their procurement and sub-contracting ventures. A total number of 1 687 of these enterprises were awarded contracts valued to R4 billion;
More than R550 million was spent on purchasing of South African materials, plant and equipment towards the Gautrain project;

Preferential procurement, BEE and SMME Development

The Department as an entity that procures goods and services, managed to award contracts valued at over R2 billion to more than 1 139 SMME companies;

On-the-job skills transfer and development

Approximately 200 people have received skills-based and accredited training in EPWP and public transport projects in line with the objective of sustainable job creation;

Road infrastructure maintenance / rehabilitation

R1.6 billion was allocated and spent on provision of public transport and road infrastructure;

GPG / Kopanong precinct development

The fast-tracking of the facilitation of the GPG/Kopanong Precinct is also one of the main highlights. 22 identified buildings were procured and are in the process of being refurbished;

Transport Month / Car Free Day

The continued successful implementation of the Public Transport Month and Car Free Day campaign, taking the concept to a new level each year since 2005. The main objective behind the campaign is to raise awareness about traffic congestion on our roads and to contribute towards reducing vehicle emissions, a major contributor to air pollution. HOV lanes pilot programme and the lift-club concepts are promoted as solutions and commuters are encouraged to explore the option of using public transport;

Additional provincial revenue collection

In the past four years the department has collected just over R4.6 billion in revenue. Management and operational systems within the Department assist in the efficient collection of taxable and non-taxable revenues in the form of license fees and rentals for leasing of GPG property towards the provincial coffers.

Additional Licensing Centers for Gauteng

With the high demand for licensing and testing facilities, and the pressure experienced by the established GPG Call Centre for booking space, the Department intervened with three additional and fully operational Grade L. Learner Licensing Centres that were established Gauteng during the 2007/08 financial year to deal with the backlog in applications for learner's licenses around Gauteng. The three centres fully operational at Funda Community Centre in Diepkloef Soweto; Essellen Park; and Westhoven.

Computerization of the Langlaagte Licensing and Testing Centre

A state of the art electronic license system and electronic vehicle tracking system for driver's license testing was successfully implemented at the Langlaagte DLTC. Two more learner's test classrooms were acquired to increase the capacity at Langlaagte.

Fighting fraud and corruption at Vehicle Testing Stations

4 Vehicle Testing Stations were closed-down during the 2007/08 after they were found issuing fraudulent roadworthiness certificates. As a result, 257 roadworthy certificates were cancelled and 24 examiners of vehicles were arrested. 128 fraudulently issued learner's and driver's licenses were cancelled at six DLTCs to date.

Formalization of small Bus operators into business entities

There was an appointment of the consortium to design and implement the empowerment model for the road based transport mode and the tourism strategy completed with the team responsible to drive the implementation of the established strategy as a result 4 primary Business co-operates were registered with CIPRO to support the primary co-peratives. Metered taxis Council was also established with the process to address legal issues with regard to metered taxis to draft regulations in place. They also dealt with promulgation and the process to address the backlogs on permits established.

Skills development for taxi drivers

80 taxi drivers received training in professional driving skills. 4 public transport bodies (GATACO, GNTA, GPMTC and GETS) received a budget for their institutional development.

Learning Centers established

The 4, 5 million rand project called Sicelo Early Learning center was established in Sedibeng Midvaal, it accommodates 150 children. The center caters for crèche education. Money used was part of the EPWP.

Public Transport Integration and Special projects

This is an initiative that ensures that station's, taxi ranks and other Transport Precincts including Gautrain stations are conceptualized, planned, constructed and managed in ways which can maximize these facilities' contribution to economic growth, urban regeneration and public transport integration and efficiency. These facilities cater for people with and without disabilities.

Shova kalula

Shova Kalula project is an initiative that aims at providing bicycles to learners from disadvantaged areas to prevent them from walking long distance between homes and school. This project was rolled out in Metsweding in October 2007.

Road infrastructure

A total of 700 EPWP employment opportunities were generated. 10 CIDB Consortiums (Level 1-4) have commenced working in our road maintenance contracts.

Women in road maintenance

This is an initiative to empower women and youth with transport infrastructure, road maintenance requisite skills that will ultimately enable them to compete competently in the industry as co-operatives.

Capital projects

In respect of the construction of new roads and the development the following projects were executed during 2007/2008 financial year:

The construction of the dual carriageway (phase 1) of Voortrekker road (K71/R55) between the Monavoni circle and Wierda road (M10, Sunderlandringe).
The construction of the dual carriageway of main road (K54/M71) between ZInnia road (Kyalami A. H) and Woodmead drive (P66-1/R55).
The upgrading and rehabilitation of the R21 between the Benoni interchange and the Pomona Interchange from a four lane to a six lane highway started.
The completion of the surfacing of the access road (phase 1) to the Eye of Africa development and the surfacing of the access road (phase 2) started.
The initiative to surface all the gravel roads within the Cradle of Humankind area was completed when the last road, T2 tourism route was surfaced.
The construction of the dual carriageway of Adcock Street (K15/R558) between Leratong hospital and Protea Glen.

Implementation of the township road programme within the twenty prioritized townships of Gauteng province

In the beginning of the 2006/2007 financial year the DPTRW embarked on establishing corporative relations with other Provincial Departments and Local Government over the implementation of townships, includes partnership with Sedibeng District Municipality, Metsweding District Municipality, West rand District Municipality, City of Joburg Metropolitan Municipality, Tshwane metropolitan municipality, and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. As a contribution towards addressing the backlog, the department could afford to make available amount of R62m in 2006/07, R262 in 2007/08 and R175m in 2008.

OTHER SUCCESSES .....