Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa November 2018 | Page 13

TRENDING
Driving a long-term vision through collaboration will be
essential to unlock the country’s true economic potential, and
enabling the co-creation of more jobs, trade and cross-industry
growth, and particularly through secondary industries.
A changed approach = people-focused trans-
port
and the development of the critical mass of support infrastructure
that feeds into and from the primary infrastructure.
Certainly, better co-ordination is required between
authorities that control primary, large scale infrastructure,
and those that manage the secondary and tertiary related
infrastructure. However, the responsibility does not rest solely
with government departments and these authorities.
The private sector is a significant contributor to transport
projects in the country. It also currently employs the bulk
of professionals skilled in delivering on transport and major
infrastructure projects – where professionals who work within
the public sector are often limited in their exposure on project
work. While in the past this gap in skills between the public and
private sectors is perceived to have been a cause of contention
– and particularly with getting projects through the pipeline –
there is in fact incredible scope for engagement between parties.
This will take a leap of faith, from all parties. However, once
open channels of engagement and trust can be established and
cemented - based on mutual understanding of each party’s
perspective and needs – this will create immense opportunities
for collaboration. Currently the magnitude of what can be
achieved through collaboration is unmeasurable, but this could
range from the transferring of skills to joint strategic planning
initiatives, and delivery through joint ventures or public private
partnerships (PPPs).
In the past, initial major transport infrastructure has always
been positioned, designed and implemented around the primary
movement of goods and services – and where additions or
adjustments are made later to accommodate people. This old
way of thinking, that ‘if we build it they will come’, seldom has
the desired change effect and more often is met with contention.
And, while the movement of goods and services remains critical
to unlocking many business, trade and growth corridors, we can
no longer afford for how people move between spaces to be an
afterthought.
Let’s look at the bus rapid transit (BRT) systems that have
been implemented in Johannesburg and Pretoria, as an example.
Certainly, these systems have merit, and have been implemented
to meet more immediate needs to transport people in and
out of urban and/or economic nodes to access employment
opportunities. However, the systems within Johannesburg and
Pretoria are not integrated or connected to each other, which
means people are still limited in terms of access to opportunities
within the region where they live. Since launching, these
systems have also been fraught with challenges – not least of
all opposition from the taxi associations and bus driver strikes
– that have largely rendered the reputation of the systems as
being unreliable.
The Gautrain on the other hand, which has already
meaningfully contributed to gross domestic product (GDP)
growth in the country since construction, has significantly
opened opportunities for people to commute along the
Pretoria-Johannesburg corridor. The challenge for many people,
however, is access to the Gautrain or the feeding bus stations, as
currently these are not fully integrated with the regional public
transport systems.
Across the country there is need to expand all modes of
public transport. But, such expansions will only be as effective
and successful as they are integrated into the larger regional
and cross-regional transport networks. Once we can get this
right, it will open opportunities to introduce universal travel
and transfer rates, with a universal payment system. Not to
mention opportunities to cross-pollinate between transport and
secondary industries to introduce, for example but not limited
to, Wi-Fi hot spots at bus and train stops or transport nodes
and, Internet and cloud enabled communications to share
information and updates with commuters about routes.
Collectively, applying such changes to how we plan, design
and build integrated public transport networks will bode
increased confidence by people – and towards effecting positive
change in mindsets about the reliability, safety and comfort of
public transport solutions.
South Africa has certainly got a lot right in its infrastructure,
to date. Going forward, however, the true value of our transport
networks will be realised when we plan, construct and maintain
our infrastructure with a vision of the societal resilience that
will continue to build and support the economy of future
generations. It’s not a quick fix. And, getting it right will require
partners who are not averse to taking a strong and forward-
looking approach to plan, design, and engineer an impactful
legacy.
SOURCE WSP
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
11