1. Taking Public Transport Forward to 2010
Presented to Parliamentary Portfolio Committee - Transport
Views from CSIR Transportek
Presented by Theuns Lamprecht

2. Objective
Statement:
Very little improvements in public transport service to the passenger over the past 10 years….
Objective:
Point out possible bottlenecks and measures to improve integrated public transport service delivery/implementation?

3. “The cycle”
Public Transport Service Delivery

4. Facing national challenges
Minibus
Bus
Rail
Integration
65% of market
0% of subsidy
20% of market
50 % of subsidy
15% of market
50% of subsidy
Subsidies mode specific
Aging fleet – “taxi recap”
“Gradual” replacement of fleet through contracts
Aging fleet and infrastructure – limited upgrading
Unsustainable facilities - maintenance
Planned locally and regulated provincially, no monitoring
Planned locally, regulated provincially, limited monitoring
Multiple sphere planning, regulated and monitored nationally
Multiple sphere involvement
Industry in process of regulation and formalization
Complicated contracting liabilities – interim contracts?
Institutional uncertainties – DoT vs SARCC vs MetroRail vs SM
The main mode specific challenges faced in public transport. These challenges require national interventions with regards to policy and strategy.

5. Minibus Bus Rail Integration Poor safety and security record
Multiple sphere involvement
Volatile operations– local enforcement
Sporadic enforcement – local and provincial enforcement
National enforcement
No performance measures- profitability the only driver
Performance measures on tendered contracts only
Performance agreement in place- shared responsibility
Multi sphere involvement - no common performance measures

6. Main conclusions
Multi sphere involvement hampers modal integration and efficiency
Lack of clear role for different spheres of government
Lack of national integrated public transport strategy

7. Challenges in perspective
Build Capacity
Revitalize taxi fleet
Convert interim contracts
Short term priorities
(2010 World Cup)
Monitoring and evaluation
Align PT government responsibilities
Common Strategy
(NLTSF)
The challenges can be split into strategic and planning issues. National public transport has not completed a full cycle with, inter alia, the lack of a clear national short term (five year) strategy, which is also required in terms of the NLTTA. With the state of current planning in the municipal and provincial sphere, the NLTSF needs to other plans into account. The three key planning related challenges which need to form part of the NLTSF are to align PT responsibilities across the government sphere, to reform the current public transport subsidy system, and to reform the commuter rail industry. Outside of the planning cycle, four key strategic issues are apparent, namely to build the DoT HR capacity, to revitalize the taxi fleet, to resolve municipal funding expectations (with reference to NLTTA), and to identify and mobilize short term transport interventions for the 2010 FIFA Soccer bid.
Reform subsidy structure
Planning
Strategic

8. Possible interventions to streamline service delivery/implementation
Long term:
Target one authority (municipal sphere of government) to be responsible for public transport planning, regulation and monitoring – all modes
Role of modes and level of subsidy based on route/corridor profile
Create one “voice” where commuter can interact or complain
Short term (setting the scene):
Convert interim bus contracts
Finalize regulation of taxi industry
Recap taxi fleet
Mobilize public transport law enforcement
Create public transport monitoring and evaluation mechanism
Build capacity of municipalities/implementation authorities
Incremental approach essential

9. Thank you…