By: Natasha Archary
The Automobile Association has slammed the proposed Gautrain expansion project as a financially disastrous vanity project.
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Mr Jacob Mamabolo shared plans to expand the Gautrain’s routes to include, Randburg, Cosmo City and other areas of the city.
A decision the AA says came with a complete disregard for factual evidence, which proves what a poor financial decision this is.
The association is calling for the proposal to be rejected and urges national government to halt further discussions regarding funding the expansion.
“In August last year we made a detailed submission outlining our concerns about the expansion of Gautrain. We noted then, as we do again now, that any expansion of Gautrain perpetuates a system which caters for a minority of citizens, all the while costing Gauteng taxpayers billions of Rands to prop up through the so-called Patronage Guarantee which compensates the system for low ridership levels,” the AA says.
The Association says when considering the serious economic challenges in South Africa, the fact that taxpayer money is effectively being used to compensate a private entity for non-performance is outrageous and deeply disturbing.
It also notes that it makes a mockery of government’s stated goal of ensuring fiscal responsibility.
Calling the expansion a vanity project, the AA said since 2013, taxpayers have been funding the shortfall of riders on the Gautrain by close to R13 billion.
“The fact remains that the Gautrain serves people who already have transport options – the large parking infrastructure at Gautrain stations attests to this.
This, along with a raft of other issues, is detailed in the submission we made last year. Sadly, we have received no feedback on our concerns, and it appears the MEC has disregarded the input of civil society on a matter which has huge financial implications for all citizens of the province.”
The AA on the Gautrain expansion
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