GOOD Statement by Morné Joseph,
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
16 August 2023
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to urgently create a joint working committee on rail devolution.
The mayor has threatened the President with intergovernmental dispute mediation proceedings should he not respond before the end of the month.
As the GOOD Party, we support the devolution of transport functions to cities as envisaged in the National Land Transport Act.
But there are public transport functions that should be devolved from the Western Cape Provincial Government first, and immediately, if we are to have an efficient public transport network.
Commuter rail must be the backbone of our public transport network – it is the most efficient and affordable way for residents to commute. In a fully integrated public transport network, a commuter rail service would be supported by bus services and minibus taxis.
The National Land Transport Act provides for the devolution of the “old order” bus contracts – Golden Arrow Bus Services – from the Provincial Government to the City in order to commence the integration of services with the City’s MyCiTi services.
The mayor should resolve this long outstanding failure, with the Premier, in order to demonstrate that the City has the desire and capacity to manage modal integration and to create the building blocks towards the contracting function for rail.
Without devolution of all the scheduled bus services the demand for devolution of the rail service is senseless and is immediately identifiable as pure politicking.
The Act also provides for the devolution of the public transport licensing function from the Provincial Government to the City and given the recent fall-out between the taxi industry and the City we would expect having full control of the licensing function would be a top priority and it is capable of devolution immediately.
Having the licensing function will enable the City to directly resolve operating permit supply and demand issues which lie at the heart of most of the conflict between the city and the taxi industry.
One year ago, the City awarded a contract for a feasibility study and plan for the devolution of the rail function. The mayor has not yet shared the full study with the Council or with the people of Cape Town – and we do not know if that study has been fully completed.
His declaration of the intergovernmental dispute is premature while the contracting authority and licensing authority functions are not yet devolved from the province and while the study is apparently incomplete.
An effective and integrated public transport system is the lifeblood of any well-functioning, modern city capable of job-creating economic growth.
However, this is not an operating model that is going to happen overnight.
Whilst appealing National Government for the devolution of rail, the DA-led city should focus on changes that are within their power that they have failed to address for years.
GOOD party will support the Mayor’s efforts to get an efficient rail service but there are transport solutions within his government’s powers that he is leapfrogging in order to pick a fight he is not yet ready for.
GOOD asks you to start working on the things within your power.
Media Enquiries:
Morné Joseph, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
Cell: 082 526 1348
Email: morne.joseph@capetown.gov.za
Samantha Jackson, GOOD Acting Media Manager
Cell: 083 550 9875
Email: media@forgood.org.za