Transport: South Africa has long way to go

No sector exists in isolation – transport included. How towns, cities and countries move people, goods and services from place to place impacts how they function socially and economically.

It affects infrastructure planning, housing development, health care and education. It either frees individuals and communities from poverty or entrenches them within it.

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An effective integrated transport system moves people, goods and services in an integrated way through roads, nonmotorised transport, railways and ports.

There are several transport options available. In the Netherlands, for example, residents can drive, walk, or make use of vast and established cycle lanes.

There are also well-running bus, metro, and train networks. And there are seamless links between these systems: bicycle racks are available at stations, and the bus, metro and train lines all intersect at convenient points.

SA’s transport network is not as integrated – either within the different modes of transport it offers, or in terms of its relationship to other sectors.

Where integrated transport systems work well, there is an integrated transport master plan in place that addresses the maintenance and upgrade of types of transport and connects the sector into those around it.

In addition, it considers new capital projects that feed into the integrated system. The absence of this plan in SA is perhaps the starting point of many of its transport challenges.

From a policy and planning perspective, SA is a siloed nation. Its roads network has its own plan, as do railways and ports. And there are variations in approach between local, provincial, and national government.

This decentralised strategy makes it difficult to introduce interventions that make a meaningful difference. There are other challenges. Supply chain and procurement, the misappropriation of funds and corruption mean budgets don’t go where they’re meant to go.

Maintenance systems falter. Add load shedding, urbanisation and the congestion of major cities, and getting people, goods and services from A to B becomes a problem.

All of this affects people’s levels of participation and inclusion. Rural-to-city connections are often hardest hit. It also impacts businesses’ ability to generate revenue.

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So how do we move forward? The first step is to evaluate the extent of the problem.

This involves having accurate and up-to-date visual condition index data that offers a detailed picture of the state of SA’s transport network, and where upgrades are required.

Then comes prioritising how budgets get allocated. The roads infrastructure budget needs to be adequately apportioned — and audited.

Work often needs to be split between maintaining existing roads and developing new ones. This is especially so in light of the railway challenges.

Step three involves tightening supply chain processes. It takes between six and 18 months for transport-related tenders to be awarded.

This is a breeding ground for corruption. Above all, we need a holistic integrated national master plan that drives consistent evaluation and action.

It needs to be comprehensive, with an understanding of the wider forces of which it is a part. South Africa has a long way to go.

But if we prioritise the creation of an integrated transport system that sees transport as a critical and enabling sector, we can start to shift the needle in other areas, too.

• Mthombeni is the director of smart mobility at engineering company Royal HaskoningDHV