WHILE Transport Month enables the Department of Transport to take stock of their progress and evaluate the challenges, it also equally presents them with an opportunity to refine their implementation plans towards the realisation of the targets they’ve committed to.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula officially launched the 2022 October Transport Month campaign and reopened the railway services serving the people of Mamelodi and the surrounding areas on Monday, 3 October in Pretoria A Station in the Pretoria CBD.
During the launch, Mbalula showcased the revitalisation and successes of the Rail Corridor Recovery Programme that was instituted by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) in April 2021.
The programme was executed by Prasa, with the intention to recover train services and corridors following vandalism on rail passages such as Pretoria and Pienaarspoort, Pretoria to Kaalfontein, Leralla to Joburg, and Naledi to Joburg.
Addressing the audience, Mbalula said: “This year marks the 17th iteration of the October Transport Month campaign, first endorsed by cabinet in 2005. The campaign focused on service delivery and infrastructure development, including policy interventions to enable accelerated delivery of our mandate.
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“Our work of recovering rail services is ongoing in all the rail corridors in the country. This includes lines such as Naledi to Joburg. Work is being accelerated to achieve the limited electrified train service in the area. The eight stations which are being revamped in preparation for service resumption are New Canada, Mlamulankunzi, Orlando, Nancefield, Kliptown, Midway, Lenz and Tshiawelo,” he added.
Mbalula said that as part of October Transport Month campaign, they will visit KZN to assess the progress on rehabilitating the infrastructure that was destroyed by the floods, and this will be inclusive of the rail and road infrastructure.
Gauteng MEC for Public Transport and Road Infrastructure, Jacob Mamabolo, gave a message of support and said: “During the hard lockdown of Covid-19, we had difficulties with railway services and at least today we have witnessed a very important and yet another launch reopening services for the people of Mamelodi.
Mamabolo pledged a commitment of behalf of the province.
He said the province will be rolling out activities the whole month to make sure they drive the delivery of services relating to transport, which is the backbone of the economy.
