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Public Transport News

BOC says contingency plans in place for Gautrain strike

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 5th October 2020 Operator of the Gautrain, the Bombela Operating Company (BOC), says it will implement a contingency plan to ensure it is able to still deliver a train service to its passengers after trade union, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) announced that its members would embark on... →

Numsa serves notice for Gautrain strike

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 2nd October 2020 Trade union the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) on October 2 issued a notice to strike at the Bombela Operating Company (BOC) − the management and operating company for the Gautrain. The union said its members would, as of the morning of October 5, go on an indefinite... →

Gautrain extension will improve Gauteng’s competitiveness, says GMA

By: Irma Venter 30th September 2020 Even if the next phase of the Gautrain rail system were to get the green light from National Treasury today, it would take three to four years before construction could start on the project, says Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) CEO William Dachs. “This is a very ambitious, long-term plan,” he... →

Maintenance work completed during lockdown

By: Halima Frost 25th September 2020 A team of eight work-at-height specialists representing rope access company Skyriders has safely completed the cleaning and maintenance of two storage tanks at a petrochemicals producer, in Mpumalanga. The maintenance project, which was conducted during Level 5 of the Covid-19 lockdown period,... →

SAFE SUSPENSION
Being able to safely complete a task while suspended from a structure takes a specialised team which Skyriders offers

Skyriders marketing manager Mike Zinn discusses a recently completed maintenance project that required specialised rope access expertise. Camerawork: Halima Frost. Editing: Nicholas Boyd. Recorded: 21.08.2020

Big loss for Gautrain predicted as ridership falls, owing to Covid-19

By: Irma Venter 18th September 2020 Weekday Gautrain rail ridership has fallen to 7 478 passenger trips a day, about 14% of pre-Covid-19 levels, says Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) COO Tshepo Kgobe. Bus ridership is at 16% of pre-Covid-19 levels, at 2 974 passenger trips a day. →

Security function now top priority at PRASA, says CEO

By: Irma Venter 18th September 2020 While Covid-19 has given the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) the opportunity to “stop and think” about its service offering and the way forward for the rail entity, it also left the door open for severe vandalism of its assets during the national lockdown, says CEO Nosipho Damasane.... →

Security function now top priority at PRASA, says CEO

By: Irma Venter 7th September 2020 While Covid-19 has given the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) the opportunity to “stop and think” about its service offering and the way forward for the rail entity, it also left the door open for severe vandalism of its assets during the national lockdown, says CEO Nosipho Damasane.... →

Gibela has spent R6bn on local procurement since 2014

By: Marleny Arnoldi 28th August 2020 Train manufacturer Gibela has launched its first socioeconomic impact report, sharing the progress it has made in terms of economic, social and environmental initiatives from January 2014 to March this year. Gibela was formed in 2013 as a black economic empowerment consortium through French... →

Gibela CEO Hector Danisa

Interprovincial travel allowed, four more airports to reopen, says Mbalula

By: News24Wire 25th August 2020 Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced on Tuesday that four more airports have been permitted to operate under Level 2 travel regulations. A total of 18 airports are now be able to operate. →

Six buses stoned in Atlantis in the Western Cape

By: News24Wire 25th August 2020 Eight people were injured when six Sibanye buses were stoned in the Witsand area of Atlantis in the Western Cape on Tuesday morning. Seven passengers and a driver were treated for minor injuries. →

Gautrain set for big loss as ridership falls owing to Covid-19

By: Irma Venter 21st August 2020 Weekday Gautrain rail ridership has fallen to about 14% of pre-Covid-19 levels, to 7 478 passenger trips a day, says Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) COO Tshepo Kgobe. Bus ridership is at 16% of pre-Covid-19 levels, at 2 974 passenger trips a day. →

Tshepo Kgobe

Covid-19 to have lasting impact on the transport sector

By: Irma Venter 14th August 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic means it will never again be business as usual for the transport sector, says Transport Authority for Gauteng (TAG) CEO Jack van der Merwe. The disease has upended almost every aspect of the sector, with a number of changes threatening to be permanent. →

Alstom Southern Africa appoints new MD

By: Irma Venter 7th August 2020 Rail transport company Alstom has appointed Bernard Peille the new MD of Alstom Southern Africa, effective July 15. Peille joined Alstom in 1989. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the railway industry, with particular expertise in design, industrial site development, management of rolling... →

Covid-19 compliance exacting huge costs on contracted bus sector

By: Irma Venter 31st July 2020 It costs about R1.3-million a day, or R34-million a month, for the contracted public transport bus sector to adhere to the hygiene and safety protocols implemented under the Covid-19 pandemic, says South African Bus Operators Association (Saboa) executive manager Bazil Govender. The sector... →

PRASA, railway equipment company managers arrested for theft

By: Irma Venter 27th July 2020 The Organised Crime Unit of the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) and the Protection Services of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) on the weekend arrested two suspects in possession of stolen PRASA assets, worth almost R2-million. One of the suspects is a PRASA branch manager at... →

Metrorail recovers R1.3m in stolen feeder wire

By: Irma Venter 24th July 2020 Metrorail’s Gauteng Protection Services this week recovered stolen feeder wire worth an estimated R1.3-million. Metrorail’s Rapid Response Unit intercepted a truck carrying four pallets of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa feeder wires. →

Taxi assistance approved in principle, says TAG’s Van der Merwe

By: Irma Venter 24th July 2020 Government has taken the policy decision to financially assist minibus taxis, but the mechanism to do this has not yet been determined, says Transport Authority of Gauteng (TAG) head Jack van der Merwe. “The short answer is that government has made a decision that taxis are a very important... →

UP, CSIR sign collaboration agreement on smart transport, cities

By: Irma Venter 23rd July 2020 The University of Pretoria (UP) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an entity of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), have signed a memorandum of agreement to collaborate in the areas of smart transport, cities and environments. “The cooperation means that UP... →

Alstom Southern Africa appoints new MD

By: Irma Venter 22nd July 2020 Rail transport company Alstom has appointed Bernard Peille as the new MD of Alstom Southern Africa, effective July 15. Bernard joined Alstom in 1989. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the railway industry, with particular expertise in design, industrial site development, management of... →

Bernard Peille

Commuter rail sector urged to prepare for the future

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 20th July 2020 South Africa's commuter rail industry must, while dealing with the immediate challenges of navigating through the Covid-19 pandemic, also ensure that it positions itself as a safer, more advanced and functional mode of public transport for the future, Gautrain Management Agency CEO William Dachs... →

Santaco hits back at Cosatu strike threats over taxi load capacity

By: News24Wire 20th July 2020 The South African National Taxi Council has said labour federation the Congress of South African Trade Union's threat to strike over the full loading capacity regulation for some taxis is unfortunate and disingenuous. "Santaco's battle with government has been nothing except for the survival of... →

PRASA to recruit 3 100 additional security guards

By: Marleny Arnoldi 20th July 2020 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has started a recruitment process to employee 3 100 security guards to protect its rail infrastructure and other assets. The recruitment drive will include static and train guards, operations monitoring controllers and armed response guards. →

Lockdown: The rejected R1.135bn taxi relief fund is 'safe' in govt coffers, says Mbalula

By: News24Wire 17th July 2020 The R1.135-billion government relief fund rejected by the taxi industry is "safe" in government coffers. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula told the nation that the rejected funds were with his department and that there were no plans to send them back to National Treasury. →

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula

Contracted bus sector struggles with high cost of Covid-19 compliance

By: Irma Venter 13th July 2020 It costs around R1.3-million a day, or R34-million a month, for the contracted public transport bus sector to adhere to the hygiene and safety protocols implemented under the Covid-19 pandemic, says South African Bus Operators Association (Saboa) executive manager Bazil Govender. The sector... →

PRASA appoints acting chief procurement officer

By: Donna Slater 7th July 2020 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has appointed Willie Mathebula acting group chief procurement officer, with effect from July 7. He assumes the position which has been left vacant by the departure of previous incumbent Keabetswe Mpane. →

Mobility as a service using cellphones proposed for safe transport

By: Schalk Burger 3rd July 2020 Multinational engineering consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV has proposed using technology to monitor hotspots and ensure safe commuting, as well as reduce the need to increase the number of public transport vehicles to enable safe transport. Technology can help to manage supply and demand more... →

Alstom launches new Mastria mobility orchestration solution

By: Schalk Burger 3rd July 2020 Transport and rail multinational Alstom has launched a new version of multimodal supervision and mobility orchestration solution Mastria, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide operators and transport authorities with enhanced passenger flow management tools. The solution allows... →

Taxi assistance approved in principle, says TAG’s Van der Merwe

By: Irma Venter 29th June 2020 Government has taken the policy decision to financially assist minibus taxis, but the mechanism to do this has not yet been determined, says Transport Authority of Gauteng (TAG) head Jack van der Merwe. “The short answer is that government has made a decision that taxis are a very important role... →

Mpondo institutes investigation into leak of confidential PRASA documents

By: Simone Liedtke 22nd June 2020 Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) administrator Bongisizwe Mpondo has ordered an investigation into the illegal leaking of confidential company documents related to a security tender. Mpondo has directed the acting head of PRASA Security, Brigadier General (Ret) Tebogo Rakau, to... →

More than R1bn allocated for taxi industry relief – Mbalula

By: News24Wire 19th June 2020 More than a billion rand in relief has been allocated to the taxi industry to aid thousands of taxis and their operators during the Covid-19 pandemic, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has said. "Government has offered the taxi industry a relief package of R1.135 billion. Reaching agreement... →

Intelligent transport system community severely impacted on by Covid-19

By: Irma Venter 19th June 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the local intelligent transport system (ITS) community, says Intelligent Transport Society South Africa (ITSSA) CEO Dr Paul Vorster. The ITTSA conducted a survey among its members on the new normal brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. →

DoT unveils plans for new auto terminal at Durban, branch line concessioning

By: Irma Venter 12th June 2020 The Department of Transport (DoT) intends to take over the functioning of struggling integrated public transport networks (IPTNs) in five cities, with six cities currently operating these systems, says Department of Transport director-general Alec Moemi. IPTNs should, ideally, incorporate bus... →

Expected decline in safety related rail incidents

By: Darren Parker 12th June 2020 The Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) expects that an analysis of railway safety incidents in April and May will reveal a declining trend in some categories of operational occurrence since some railway operations were suspended during levels 4 and 5 of the Covid-19 national lockdown. As legislated,... →

WALKING THE LINE
Although there have been less operational occurrences throughout the lockdown, safe railway behaviour promotion has been augmented for rail employees and the general public

Photo by Creamer Media
WALKING THE LINE Although there have been less operational occurrences throughout the lockdown, safe railway behaviour promotion has been augmented for rail employees and the general public

Rail needs innovative risk-sharing structures

By: Darren Parker 12th June 2020 African railway owners and operators should consider linking freight and passenger rail services as a way of diversifying the risks and rewards that have become evident in these systems on the back of the Covid-19 crisis, says Development Bank of Southern Africa transport, logistics and bulk... →

SHOULDERING THE LOAD
While passenger rail suffered losses, freight rail enjoyed increased demand throughout the Covid-19 lockdown

Photo by Creamer Media
SHOULDERING THE LOAD While passenger rail suffered losses, freight rail enjoyed increased demand throughout the Covid-19 lockdown

Gautrain takes a knock to protect customer base

By: Darren Parker 12th June 2020 Gautrain rapid-rail network operator Bombela Concession Company has maintained or, in some cases, increased Gautrain operational capacity despite low passenger numbers. “While maintaining or even increasing capacity at a time when demand has reduced goes against commercial logic, it makes perfect... →

STAYING ON TRACK The Gautrain has continued to operate at full capacity despite experiencing a significant reduction in paying customers during lockdown

PRASA dismisses four senior officials over procurement irregularities

By: Donna Slater 8th June 2020 Following allegations of impropriety in the awarding of security-related tenders, and a disciplinary inquiry, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has dismissed four senior officials in its protection services department, who have been found guilty of alleged procurement... →

PRASA raids illicit scrap metal trader, makes arrests

By: Donna Slater 3rd June 2020 Having been victim to an alarming increase in cases of infrastructure vandalism to its overhead electrical lines, electrical substations and station buildings, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (PRASA’s) security team has seized about R10-million worth of stolen cables and other rail... →

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