Govt moots 2010 transport team
2009-07-02 21:03
Cape Town - Government is considering setting up a dedicated 2010 transport co-ordinating team to ensure adequate transport facilities during the Fifa Soccer World Cup, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said on Thursday.
In a statement issued after a transport ministers' (Minmec) meeting, he said the tournament was not only about sport but also transport.
"We met with Fifa Secretary General Jerome Valcke and Local Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan [on Wednesday] where Fifa pointed out certain shortcomings with regards to transport, which were apparent during the Confederations Cup."
Neither Fifa nor the transport department could afford to be satisfied with "impressive power point presentations about our supposed readiness for 2010", he said.
"Mistakes were created for us to learn from. By next week, Fifa will be writing to us as [the transport department] to formally point out some of the transport challenges during the Confederations Cup, which we have already discussed with them.
"A concrete proposal is for us to appoint a dedicated 2010 transport co-ordinating team driven by the national department of transport," Ndebele said.
Talks with taxi industry
Each province would also appoint a dedicated 2010 transport co-ordinator reporting directly to the national department.
"This co-ordinating team will enable us to take decisive steps to overcome our shortcomings and ensure integration and co-ordination between national, provincial and local government 2010 transport plans."
To this end, the co-ordinating team would submit a detailed report together with the required interventions at the next transport lekgotla scheduled for August this year, he said.
Other transport priorities discussed included engagement with the taxi industry to ensure that a new platform was created so that the industry could participate more effectively in the mainstream economy.
Others were job creation, fighting fraud and corruption, and investment in transport infrastructure.
- SAPA