The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRT) is accelerating plans to get its “one-ticket-one-province” system off the ground, after it was put on ice due to budget constraints.
Announced a year ago, the one-ticket-one-province system forms part of the department’s intermodal connectivity plan – the seamless integration of various modes of transportation using one ticket – as a key pillar of its digital transformation strategy.
The seamless integration of various modes of transportation is gaining momentum worldwide, ensuring easy transfers between trains, taxis, buses and bicycles, to create a well-functioning transportation network.
During an interview with ITWeb, on the side-lines of the Smarter Mobility Africa Summit 2024, Gauteng transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela noted Gauteng’s transportation sector is undergoing significant transformation.
The one-ticket-one-province initiative remains a key priority, despite failing to take off after it was announced, she said.
“The system has been faced with some challenges from our side; we had delayed its implementation, as a provincial government. But now we have put plans in place and have a dedicated project manager who will focus on it. We are looking at how we are going to be rolling it out.
“The Gauteng premier has pronounced himself on ensuring we are a cashless province, especially within the transport sector, and the team is working hard to ensure we come up with a system that will be quickly implemented. The project had been delayed, but now we have to move fast with it. Very soon we will be rolling it out,” stated Diale-Tlabela.
Due to funding challenges, the GDRT is in consultations with various service providers and stakeholders, as it plans a viable funding model for the project, she pointed out.
“We have concessions of public-private partnerships with different service providers. We are looking for a better funding model and an implementation model. The final report is yet to come to the office of the MEC.”
Last October, the GDRT unveiled a data-centric Transport Management Centre (TMC) at the department’s headquarters in Johannesburg.
The TMC will be a key part of the one-ticket-one-province initiative, and will be equipped with smart technologies that provide real-time data for informed decision-making by commuters and operators alike, according to the GDRT.
Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi has for a while been calling for all businesses to join the fight against crime by transitioning to cashless payment systems by 2025. Since he took office, he has thrown his weight behind the widespread adoption of digital payments, calling for the shift to a cashless society in Gauteng.
Lesufi emphasised the urgency of this transition at last year’s Cashless Indaba, a conference held to promote the widespread adoption of digital payments.
"We want to challenge the big industries to go cashless. We believe we would be in a position to stop cash-in-transit heists.
"Counterfeit goods thrive because of cash. We need to strengthen our systems. Criminals plague our province. We cannot attract investment to our province due to the high crime levels," Lesufi said at the conference.
Discussing Gauteng’s strategy on new energy vehicles (NEV), or electric vehicles (EVs), the MEC noted electrification of vehicles is a key pillar of the department’s digital transformation strategy.
She highlighted the local production of EVs as an important part of the Energy Transition Investment Plan, with the potential to drive investment in green energy and skills development programmes.
The national government also envisions locally-based lithium battery factories, to support the local production of EVs, she asserted.
“The country is moving quickly towards our strategy to reduce greenhouse emissions, and we are happy that different stakeholders are already implementing their strategies to move in that direction.
“We are seeing local vehicle and bus manufacturers showcasing what they have done in that area. We are also engaging them regarding this. What is really important to us is to ensure we reskill workers and prepare them, while also creating employment opportunities for the future.”
The Electric Vehicle Readiness Support Programme and the Automotive Production Development Programme are among the initiatives set up by government, to pave the way for EVs and the arrival of electric buses and e-taxis.
Diale-Tlabela pointed out SA is a step closer to introducing policy. The draft white paper details a framework upon which a comprehensive and long-term automotive industry transformation strategy would be premised, with a focus on the creation of a high-yielding business environment.
This includes a fiscal and regulatory framework that makes SA a highly-competitive location for the automotive sector globally.
“There is commitment from our national legislators to finalise the paper quickly so that we are able to roll out many of the plans we have set, to transform the automotive industry,” she concluded.
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