Gautrain's future in Parliament's hands

The Gautrain is expected to cost R20 billion

The multi-billion-rand Gautrain project may have reached the end of the line in Parliament as MPs battle to swallow its cost. During the second day of public hearing on the proposed rail project, Jeremy Cronin, the portfolio committee chairperson on transport, said: "We are not here to sink the project; our job is to make recommendations to the Cabinet who will then take a decision early next month."

During the debate, it was clear many MPs found it difficult to justify the R20 billion price tag of the project that was primarily aimed at reducing congestion on the Ben Schoeman highway between Pretoria and Johannesburg.

If Gautrain cancelled, may increase congestion
Jack van der Merwe, the Gautrain project leader, told the committee that if the project was cancelled, congestion in Gauteng would increase, resulting in reduced mobility. Van der Merwe said Gauteng's economy, currently the fourth largest in Africa, would suffer and South Africa's international standing in Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreements "would be gone".

The proposed high speed train was intended to link Pretoria, Johannesburg International Airport and Johannesburg, a development triangle said to be growing at a phenomenal rate. It was initially a Gauteng initiative, but required financial intervention from national government when cost forecasts escalated from R7 billion in 2002 to R12 billion. Government's total exposure over the five year construction period was said to be over R20 billion.

Setting trains alight, a concern
Cronin voiced concerns including rail commuters' current appetite for destroying trains. He also worries that nobody is prepared to say for sure the project would work. "If this thing goes ahead and fails, then we will have a very costly white elephant," said Cronin.

The committee was briefed by Romano Del Mistro, a University of Cape Town academic, on alternative transport ideas. These included developing a dedicated bus route along the Ben Schoeman, that despite certain road upgrades, Del Mistro predicted would be less costly and transfer the same number of passengers.

In the next few days, the committee's report will be forwarded to the National Assembly for approval and then be sent to Cabinet for a decision. - Sapa