Rapid Rail Link Research Articles

Governance in Public–Private Partnerships in South Africa: Some Lessons from the Gautrain

This article explores the application of principles governing public–private partnerships (PPPs) to a particular case in South Africa and suggests ways in which governance principles could be incorporated more effectively within its designated objectives. Despite an increasing recognition of the need for active research into the effectiveness of governance principles within PPPs, there remains very little research about the effectiveness of PPP governance as a developmental project. The Gautrain Rapid Rail Link is a project by the Gauteng provincial government (GPG) to provide efficient public transport options and good governance, using the build, operate and transfer type of PPP. This article draws on both a background case study of the Gautrain and the conceptual framework of governance to evaluate the extent to which effective governance has been achieved through the Gautrain. It sheds light on some governance issues and on the lessons learned that might be useful in enhancing governance in PPPs in South Africa. If the PPP mega-rail transportation system is to provide a new approach to delivering goods and services to citizens in post-apartheid South Africa, PPPs will need to be viewed as governance tools, promoting transparency, accountability, risk allocation, responsiveness, collaboration, mutual commitment, social and community obligations and proper strategic representation of costs in their planning and implementation.

Potential for mitigating greenhouse gases through expanding public transport services: A case study for Gauteng Province, South Africa

South Africa’s Province of Gauteng is a fast growing megacity region including the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane. Increasing population and prosperity lead to a steadily growing energy demand and thereby increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. One third of the province’s final energy consumption comes from the transport sector, dominated by motorized individual transport. Due to the limited financial resources to fund public transport initiatives, the most cost-effective means to reach the GHG mitigation targets are intended, without jeopardizing the economic growth. Recently, a bus rapid transit (BRT) system (Rea Vaya) and a rapid rail link (Gautrain) have been introduced to enforce the public transport system. In this paper, we investigate planned and possible future network expansions of the BRT and the Gautrain in terms of transport performance, costs of network expansions and GHG mitigation potential. Based on a trip rate model, we show that extensions of the current network can increase passenger numbers significantly (between 320% and 660% between 2013 and 2040 depending on the framework conditions). However, despite these expansions, the modal share of the BRT and the Gautrain in total passenger-kilometres travelled remains below 4% until 2040. This results in a decrease of cumulated GHG emissions of less than 1% until 2040 and relatively high GHG mitigation costs (4948–30045ZAR2013/tCO2e). Nevertheless, a better integration of all public transport systems can increase the attractiveness of the services, which can result in a higher modal shift from private cars and thereby higher GHG emissions reductions at lower costs.

Design and construction of the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link

Public transport in South Africa is being transformed with the advent of the 77 km Gautrain Rapid Rail Link in Gauteng. The first phase was opened on 8 June 2010 and, at the time of writing, the second phase was scheduled to be completed by mid-2011. In September 2006, the Gauteng Provincial Government awarded the ZAR25 billion (£1 billion) project to the Bombela Concession Company on a public–private partnership basis, with the concessionaire obliged to design, build, commission, partly finance, operate and maintain the Gautrain System for 15 years following delivery of the full system. The new railway will relieve traffic congestion on the N3 expressway linking Johannesburg and Pretoria, act as a catalyst for social regeneration of decaying urban areas, stimulate economic development and job creation along the Gautrain corridor and encourage the use of public transport. The system also provides a dedicated premium airport service between Sandton and OR Tambo International Airport, as well as feeder and distribution bus services to stations. This paper describes the scope of the project, the participants and how they interacted, as well as the engineering solutions and methodologies adopted during the design and construction processes. The main challenges of this landmark project, and how these were overcome, also feature in the paper.

Contesting the proposed rapid rail link in Gauteng

Contesting the proposed rapid rail link in Gauteng