The 2016 edition of the Gauteng Business and Investment Guide is the premier business and investment guide for the Gauteng province and the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA). In addition to detailed profiles of key provincial organisations, including the GGDA, the Automotive Industry Development Corporation Centre (AIDC), the Gauteng Investment Centre, the Gauteng IDZ, the Gauteng ICT Park SEZ and Constitution Hill, this edition includes well-researched economic and demographic data on the province, as well as insights into the province’s five development corridors and the new industries and development nodes in these corridors; a focus on Gauteng as a global city region; and key growth sectors for the province.
FOCUS The Gautrain has
FOCUS The Gautrain has already contributed R20-billion to Gauteng’s GDP. The Gautrain rail connection comprises two links, one between Tshwane and Johannesburg and the other between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton. The system offers a fast, convenient, safe and efficient public transport service. It now takes just 15 minutes to travel from Sandton to OR Tambo International Airport on the Gautrain, and 35 minutes from Pretoria in Tshwane to Park Station in Johannesburg. As from 11 August 2014, the Gautrain’s airport service (Sandton to OR Tambo International Airport) was improved with earlier trains in the mornings and later trains in the evenings. Using a cash-free ticketing system and reloadable smart cards (the Gautrain Gold Card) makes travelling on the Gautrain quick and convenient. Passengers can buy their Gold Cards at any Gautrain stations as well as at approved service outlets. Buses and shuttles are available to transport passengers during weekdays to and from all stations, excluding the OR Tambo International Airport station. Since the start of operations in June 2010, various objectives have been met on the Gautrain systems and the overall system (trains, busses and parking) has performed extremely well. Approximately 55 000 passenger trips utilise the Gautrain train service on any given day, and on average 21 000 bus passenger trips are recorded on a daily basis, The Gautrain’s dedicated bus service transports passengers between the station and the eastern, northern and southern suburbs. GAUTENG BUSINESS 2016 50
FOCUS Gautrain’s train, bus and parking services are all fully integrated and may be used separately or jointly by transfering from one to another and the Gautrain service has delivered at an excellence rate of 99% train availability and 98% train punctuality. A significant number of people have been employed on the project since its inception. It is estimated that, at the end of June 2012, the Gautrain Concessionaire had already created or sustained about 34 800 local direct jobs and an estimated total of 121 800 direct, indirect and induced jobs. An economic study conducted by KPMG in 2015 has shown that the Gautrain has contributed R20- billion to Gauteng’s GDP and R46-billion to property development along its route since its development phase that ran from 2006 to the current day. The study also found that Gautengers are making public transport a mode of choice, with 77% of Gautrain’s current ridership making the modal shift from private cars to using the Gautrain. These Socio-Economic Devel op ment achievements are proof that the Gautrain is more than just a train but rather a sustainable project that continues to contribute to the economy and the people of Gauteng throughout. The Gautrain is not competing with other modes of public transport, such as taxis and buses, which all have an important role to play in the total transport system. The service comprises of a fleet of modern low-entrance and low-emission buses with comfortable seating, providing feeder and distribution services to and from the Gautrain stations. The municipal Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) services are also integrated with the Gautrain at some of the Gautrain stations. Commuters, therefore, do not have to experience the same frustrations and delays as motorists experience in terms of escalating traffic congestion. The Gautrain Management Agency was recently given the approval by Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Dr Ismail Vadi, to conduct a feasibility study for a possible rapid rail extension to the Gauteng rail network as part of the Gauteng Province’s Integrated Transport Master Plan 2025. The results of this study will be available in mid-2016. The purpose of the feasibility study is to inform the decision to proceed with the Gauteng rail extensions and the preferred routes that should be developed. This is based on a number of benefits such as the transformational impact on the Gauteng economy, the modernisation of public transport, passenger access and mobility, improved spatial development, environmental impact, and numerous other benefits, such as job creation and poverty alleviation. The Gautrain provides commuters with a world-class travel experience. 51 GAUTENG BUSINESS 2016
