MEC: Use public transport ?????????

[pupa]

Which public transport! and then get murdered or raped too for that matter. No Thanks! The MEC should rather use the available budgets to develop proper infrastructure which is possible if the abuse misuse and fraud of the tax income stops!

http://www.mweb.co.za/news/?p=top_article&i=279355

 

[NoRulez]

Public transport was in use pre 1994 (city busses and trains), then the GVT scaled it down for some or other reason... Think PTA-JHB...

 

[kingrob]

I'm willing to use the Gautrain, if it ever becomes a reality in South Africa, but I've got two requirements :

1. Parking at the station must be safe. Don't want to come back from Joburg & my scooter is gone.

2. There must be fifteen metal detectors from the entrance of the station to the actual train & 5 security guards for each passenger on the train.

 

[supersunbird]

Stupid MEC, he probably thinks minibus taxi's are public transport...

Trains (underground, above ground, monorails) and buses are public transport. There are basically no trains here in Pretoria East and only a once every hour or less bus service...

 

[Leitmotif]

Yeah, I'm going to park my bike in a train station. Right. Put public transport within walking distance (10-15 min) and I'll use it.

 

[Syndyre]

Yeah, I'm going to park my bike in a train station. Right. Put public transport within walking distance (10-15 min) and I'll use it.

Hopefully if the govt builds the Gautrain other companies'll built the last mile. Problem is the Gautrain doens't help much in isolation, you can't just get to Joburg/Pta and then walk everywhere!

 

[stoke]

Catch 22:
People won't use a public transport system unless it's extensive enough to meet all their needs.
The governmint won't build an extensive public transport system if nobody uses it.

So ... now what ?

 

[Syndyre]

Catch 22:
People won't use a public transport system unless it's extensive enough to meet all their needs.
The governmint won't build an extensive public transport system if nobody uses it.

So ... now what ?

"Build it and they will come"

 

[stoke]

Yup ... so .. stop telling us to use public transport and just build it already.
/me calls captain obvious a deviant !

 

[pupa]

In the old days they reduced bus's as they were uneconomical to run empty. Thus a 10 minute into town trip now became a 60 min trip due to the expanded route it has to drive. Thus people made alternate arrangements. Same with schoolbus's the kids had to get up at five to get the bus at 5:40 to be at school 7:30. Logic do not seem to be part and parcel of the GVT minset or infrastructure planning. No public transport, not enough power, no effective policing and no effective communications or governance for that matter!

 

[noxibox]

Catch 22:
People won't use a public transport system unless it's extensive enough to meet all their needs.
The governmint won't build an extensive public transport system if nobody uses it.

This should be the advantage of publicly funded versus privately funded. A government can choose to fund something that is useful to society even if it is not actually profitable.

Public transport needs to be extensive, it needs to run often and it must not be overcrowded.

The London underground is an example of horrible public transport. It gets used because it happens to be less horrible than trying to drive in London.

 

[noxibox]

Hopefully if the govt builds the Gautrain other companies'll built the last mile. Problem is the Gautrain doens't help much in isolation, you can't just get to Joburg/Pta and then walk everywhere!

I want to be able to take a bicycle onto a train. If I am going to be going to several places in the CBD I'll put my bicycle in the boot of my car, park on the outskirts of town and cycle everywhere. If I can take my bicycle on the train then I can cycle to the station and leave my car at home. Of course the trains need to run often enough that I do not have to stand around waiting for the next one, and they have to have sufficient capacity. I don't know if any country has public transport that isn't overcrowded during peak times.

 

[schitz011]

The London underground is an example of horrible public transport. It gets used because it happens to be less horrible than trying to drive in London.

How is the tube horrible?

Fine it's crowed and it's kinda dated in some sections, but the for the numbers it handles I think it does exceptionally well *29.5 million passengers*
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/company/performance-update/default.asp?onload=cust_click()

Someone posted the exact problem with guatrain, it doesn't take you were you need to go. Station in Sandton? Fine, how do you get from the station to say Rivonia? Taxi? Walk? Bus? There is no way people are gonna use it in the numbers needed to make it profitable. 2010? People want transport right to the stadium, not the 10 kms away.

Saffas love their cars too much to ride in a smelly hot container with the great unwashed. And yes I know some of the smells on the tube especially in summer can be less than appealing

 

[noxibox]

How is the tube horrible?

Overcrowded, full of pollution. Bad enough that some people would rather brave the traffic.

 

[Syndyre]

The tube's ok if you can avoid peak times. Certainly far better than anything in this country.

 

[kaspaas]

Use the super safe Gautrain with zillions of guards and get robbed outside the station...

Noways, I'll stick to my car on the N1 between Pta-Jhb and park in the client's safe parking garage.

 

[pupa]

Overcrowded, full of pollution. Bad enough that some people would rather brave the traffic.

New TB scares me. No thanks shove Your "public" transport i will drive on me own

 

[Turtle]

Catch 22:
People won't use a public transport system unless it's extensive enough to meet all their needs.
The governmint won't build an extensive public transport system if nobody uses it.

So ... now what ?

Age-old chicken-and-egg problem not unsolveable. It's like any other product/service in any market. (A) Invest several tonnes of money on the infrastructure, and (B) market it heavily/smartly, so people know about it and to overcome stigmas etc. Many other countries have done this very successfully. As someone pointed out "if you build it they will come", and the reason they will is that people/businesses ultimately try to maximise their utility, i.e. will use it if it's cheaper or saves them time (and with the economies of scale of public transport, and oil prices at today's levels, it should almost certainly be). Of course, it'll have to be safe and reliable.

Unfortunately, apart from the Gautrain, the government appears to be letting public transport rot. E.g. a few dirty old rundown apartheid-era anachronisms of buses that only come by once or twice a day is not very useful. Trying to figure out where/when they stop from the confusing amateurish "timetables" (that look like they were written in the 70s) is another issue, why not make it clearer.

The problem is you need someone with some vision and smarts in charge. Or better, create the appropriate environment for the private sector to provide solutions.

 

[nocilah]

ok - seriously - is it me or is EVERYTHING the goverment suggesting, talking about of late sound as if some retard suggested it?

seriously, i think they ask 5 year olds for these ideas, or they really have the minds of five year olds. my word... and to think some of these retards went to school in england - maybe they bought their degrees much like they bought their positions.

retards.

 

[LifelongGamer]

Has anyone stopped to think that as usual Government is leaving it up to the private sector? They failed to do their job properly so now they appeal to the private sector to help solve the problem.

That said, how long has the Taxi Recap Project being dragging on for? Who is buying up new taxis or setting up silent partnerships with existing taxi bosses so that when the project finally goes live, people will be SO grateful to have new shiny taxis that nobody will notice they paying more and some new fatcats are joining the Millionairs Club?

Is it too late to add a condition that no Taxi Operator License will be issued if there's a shareholder / partner / family member / ex-comrade working in Government? Also, before I even consider using a taxi for public transport, I demand Government / Metro to ensure that taxi drivers are properly trained in traffic regulations and anyone driving recklessly, blocking traffic, cutting across lanes without safe distances for other vehicles in front or behind, skipping red lights (or even driving off before it turns green), etc. is heavily fined and their license revoked. Shiny, large vehicles mean nothing if the same dangerous drivers are behind the steering wheel.