Question NW1077 to the Minister of Transport
04 May 2018 - NW1077
Nolutshungu, Ms N to ask the Minister of Transport
Whether his department has done any upgrading of public transport facilities and services to and from healthcare facilities since 1 January 2012; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) is the (i) name and (ii) location of each healthcare facility that has seen the specified upgrade and (b) are the relevant details of each specified upgrade?
Reply:
The three spheres of Government share responsibilities for different aspects of public transport operations and infrastructure. From a national perspective the Department through the Passenger Rail Agency will be rolling out upgraded rail infrastructure and services in line with the recapitalisation programme of Metrorail. In several cities, rail lines provide connections to health care facilties especially in city CBDs and in township hubs. The Department will confirm the specific operational upgrades in due course once the rail corridor based infrastructure and service improvements are completed from 2018/19 onwards.
With regard to road based public transport, the Department has been funding 13 cities through the Public Transport Network Grant to improve the quality of services. Four cities are currently operating a Phase 1 service and another five cities will either pilot or launch services in 2018/19.
In several cities these upgraded services such as Rea Vaya in Johannesburg and My Citi in Cape Town served major health care facilties such as the Phase 1a and b or Rea Vaya which link Soweto with Rahima Moosa, Chris Hani Baragwanath, Charlotte Maxeke Hospitals etc. The My Citi N2 Express serves Lentegeur Hospital in Mitchells Plain Cape Town. In Tshwane the current A re Yeng pilot phase connects to Steve Biko Academic Hospital.
Upcoming projects in 2018/19 will serve the Tembisa Hospital in Ekurhuleni with the Harambee BRT. By 2021/22 the Department expects all 13 cities to be operating at least one major township to CBD trunk route that will serve the major health facilities on both these ends.