Government stops Gauteng monorail project.

[Dave A]

National government has put the brakes on the Gauteng monorail project between Johannesburg and Soweto.

The building of a 44,7km monorail between Johannesburg and Soweto has been "put on hold", the Transport Ministry said on Friday.

It said while the monorail proposal cannot be supported in its present form, the government is in principle not opposed to the concept of a monorail.

The Gauteng project will be suspended pending "the necessary process, including consultation", said Transport Ministry spokesperson Collen Msibi.

The decision followed a meeting earlier in the day between Transport Minister Jeff Radebe, Gauteng finance and economic affairs minister Paul Mashatile, and the province's public transport, roads and works minister Ignatius Jacobs.

On May 16, the two provincial ministers signed an agreement with a Malaysian consortium on construction of the monorail, claiming it would transport 1,5-million people a day and reduce their wait for transport to just 15 minutes.

However, the new transport proposal drew criticism from, among others, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union and taxi operators.
full story from M&G here

No doubt the process followed will be the official cause for central government intervention in the proposal. But I wonder how much the source of the criticism influenced the decision.

[RKS Computer Solutions]

Shouldn't the "consultation" part be done as a pre lim to the design and decision making on whether or not it is feasible?

[Dave A]

I expect so. My interest was piqued, though, by the fact that it was an unsolicited private sector proposal - which is a good indicator that it was viable. Clearly, government is quite comfortable interfering with business at the drop of a hat.

At another level, it's also a project within Gauteng that would help with the massive traffic problems in the region. Gauteng was ready to go with it - central government put on the brakes. Does this mean that central government is taking responsibility for transport infrastructure in the big cities or in the provinces? Or just interfering in regional attempts to deal with their problems.

[duncan drennan]

What I'm trying to figure out is whether this is a case of ego, a genuine issue (ito of the greater transport scheme), money passing hands (between any involved parties), pressure from other sectors, or just plain stupidity.

[Dave A]

Shouldn't the "consultation" part be done as a pre lim to the design and decision making on whether or not it is feasible?

I think that is the claimed grounds for putting the brakes on. Whether it is valid or not I have no idea.

[Dave A]

Well the DA seems to think it's the Gauteng folk who have erred. This article certainly answers some of my questions.

DA: Heads must roll over monorail mix-up
Gauteng's provincial ministers for transport and finance should be fired for bungling the proposed monorail between Soweto and central Johannesburg, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the province said on Monday.

The R12-billion monorail project was put on hold after Transport Minister Jeff Radebe said he had not been informed about the project and only heard about it through the media.

"How could the national transport minister be kept totally in the dark when rail is a national competence and needs approval from the Railway Safety Regulator and the South African Rail Commuter Corporation?" Bloom asked.

He said the "fiasco demands" a response from Shilowa.

"He should fire [the two provincial ministers] who have let him down badly in disregarding the most basic consultation on a major project."

Bloom said foreign investment should be encouraged, but it was astounding that Mashatile could sign a deal with a "fishy" Malaysian company that still had to divulge its local and international partners.

"Is Mashatile really so naive, or are there other interests at stake?

"An inquiry is needed into who would gain from the proposed development corridor on the monorail route. I am very suspicious," he said.
full story from M&G here