Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers, hon members, the Gautrain rapid rail link is a state-of-the-art rapid rail network in South Africa and the biggest public-private partnership initiative in Africa. It is the largest and costliest transport infrastructure ever undertaken by the Gauteng provincial government.
The initial cost was estimated at R3,5 billion to R4 billion when the project was announced in 2000. This figure was, however, revised upwards to R7 billion for purposes of the environmental impact assessment process in 2003. It was finally revealed as being R20 billion in 2005 after the successful bidder for the project was announced and a contract came into existence. Currently, the Gautrain project is said to cost R25 billion. On 15 February 2006 the then Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel, indicated in his Budget Speech that R7,1 billion had been taken from the national fiscus and allocated to the Gautrain.
The rail system was built by Bombela Consortium, a partnership between Bombadier Transportation, Bouygues Travaux Publics, Murray and Roberts, Strategic Partners Group, RATP Development, the J & J Group and Absa Bank. It is 50% owned by its international partners and 50% by Murray and Roberts and the Strategic Partners Group, the consortium's black economic empowerment component.
The network is 80 km long and is connected to other forms of public transport like taxis, buses and Metrorail public train system. Commuters can also use Gautrain buses to destinations within a 15 km radius. Travelling at 160 km per hour, the Gautrain takes 42 minutes to travel between Johannesburg and Tshwane. From Sandton to OR Tambo International Airport it takes 15 minutes, and a provision has been made for passengers to remotely check in at Sandton in future.
It was estimated that the Gautrain will create 93 000 direct, indirect and induced jobs during construction. More than 3 000 jobs per year will be created during operation. On 17 March 2009 the Gautrain Project announced that it has created more than 63 000 direct, indirect and induced jobs. In terms of the Gauteng Growth and Development Strategy, the Gautrain is required to contribute towards broad-based black economic empowerment in terms of procurement, broadening the ownership and control, and skills transfer. Emphasis is also placed on the empowerment of women, youth and people living with disabilities.
The Gautrain is expected to reduce traffic congestion on the N1 Ben Schoeman Highway by 20% with 100 000 daily passenger trips. The N1 freeway currently carries some of the highest traffic volumes in South Africa, with more than 157 000 vehicles travelling on it per day and a traffic growth of 7% per year. It is estimated that about one fifth of Tshwane-Johannesburg commuters will switch from travelling by road to travelling by rail. The anticipated shift will, in turn, curb road accidents, deterioration of the road network and attendant road maintenance.
Notwithstanding the noble objective that the Gautrain is expected to achieve, it has been beset by cable theft which, if not urgently attended to, has the potential of further denting the image of public transport and, therefore, counter government's endeavour to promote the use of public transport as the preferred mode of transport. This debate attempts to look at the impact of the Gautrain service disruption on the viability of modernised public transport and commuter confidence.
Launched on 2 August 2011, the Gautrain's Johannesburg-Tshwane link has twice been halted after copper cabling used to electrify the system was ripped out of the ground. Criminals made off with 200 m of cabling. As a result of this illicit act, Gautrain services were disrupted and commuters were left stranded. An emergency bus service was implemented to ferry passengers affected by cable theft incidents to their various destinations.
It is estimated that South Africa loses about R5 billion a year owing to cable theft; and that disrupts rail services, electricity and telecommunications. The estimated direct cost of cable theft in the country is R500 million a year. Business Against Crime South Africa, BACSA, contends, however, that the indirect cost to the economy is conservatively 10 times higher than the expenditure required for replacing stolen cables. The knock-on effects of the cable theft include a reduction in production or service delivery, a drop in productivity and loss of business to competitors. BACSA maintains that there has been a dramatic increase in cable theft since 2006. It is believed that the record commodity price of copper and strong demand for metal are the main reasons for the escalating occurrence of cable theft in South Africa. The cost of copper stolen cannot be compared with the economic cost borne by companies and the general public.
It is, therefore, a truism that cable theft is not just an issue for the Gautrain alone, but for all South Africans. Cable theft represents a direct assault on people and communities who rely on rail travel, electricity and telecommunication to go about their daily activities.
The Bombela Operating Company has committed itself to spending more money with a view to preventing its services from sabotage arising from cable theft. Accordingly, it has undertaken to launch a comprehensive investigation on how to prevent this from happening in future.
According to the Gautrain Management Agency's chief executive, Jack van der Merwe, there will be an installation of CCTV cameras throughout stations, rail reserves, walkways and parking areas. In addition, the control centre will monitor trains, as well as stations at all times. Another proposed measure by Bombela is to have the cabling buried deep underground and secured under several metres of concrete to ensure that the cables remain secure and cannot be stolen.
We therefore propose that those found guilty of cable theft must be given harsh penalties to ensure that the would-be cable thieves learn a lesson from them and realise that it is not easy to benefit from cable theft. Communities should also be made aware of the negative impact that cable theft has on the country's economic wellbeing and the inconvenience caused to commuters who have to bear the brunt as a result of this misdeed. Only a collaborative and holistic strategy will ensure that the fight against cable theft is won.
In conclusion, hon Chairperson, in the ever-evolving customer-focused society, citizens benefit from a growing choice of transport modes and compare transport performance with other services. They expect mobility solutions that are quick, safe, convenient, reliable, clean and affordable. To achieve this, transport operators need to meet two challenges: On the one hand, they must keep pace with their clients' needs in order to deliver innovative quality and make people change their attitudes and behaviour; and on the other hand, they must change their corporate culture of being a fleet manager to a customer-oriented company and boost the sector's potential and attractiveness. If the Gautrain is to achieve its noble objectives, it has to attend to these twin challenges. I thank you.