Transport department to prioritise skills and road upgrades

The department of transport wants to establish a provincial traffic college in partnership with the Road Traffic Management Corporation.

MEC Weziwe TikanaGxothiwe said this was among the skills development initiatives her department had in the pipeline.

Tabling her budget and policy speech this week, TikanaGxothiwe said R11m had been set aside to address skills shortages and drive economic growth through the transport sector, benefiting 111 young people.

“In the last couple of years we successfully developed pilots, maritime engineers, civil engineers and transport economists among others,” she said.

Other initiatives that will be implemented include:

● Training of expanded public works programme (EPWP) beneficiaries through accredited institutions of higher learning;

● Strengthening the artisan development programme at the Centre of Excellence in GraaffReinet; and

● Training 30 youths as traffic officers.

She said the focus on transport infrastructure was to develop and implement plans based on the needs of the Eastern Cape while ensuring a balanced provision of services.

“Bilatye Bailey Bridge in Cofimvaba is almost complete.

“We will commence with construction of Fini Bridge in Chris Hani, Jozana and Sterkspruit bridges, both in Joe Gqabi District Municipality,” she said.

She said the continued upgrading of roads would also be among the department’s top priorities.

These include:

● 14km of the T125 from the N2 to Siphetu Hospital (phase 4). The project has been awarded at a cost of R296.3m;

● 15km road project from Willowvale to Dwesa Nature Reserve (phase 2) which includes the construction of two bridges. Total costs of the project are set at R280.4m; and

● Upgrading from the R61 at St

Barnabas Hospital to Hluleka Nature Reserve (16km — phase 1) with a budget of R296.3m.

The department will also implement various regravelling projects in all districts with a total budget of R891m for maintenance of provincial roads over the financial year.

“On reseals and rehabilitation, at the end of 2019 we handed over to the community of Matatiele Local Municipality a contractor tasked to reseal about 10.3km of road from Matatiele to Maluti-a-Phofung (DR08012) at a cost of R93m,” she said.

She said a further R150m had been invested to reseal 30.5km of road from Flagstaff to Magusheni in the Alfred Nzo District, while in the Amathole District about R190m had been allocated for the resealing of 31km of road from Butterworth to Centane.

“We will also prioritise the rehabilitation of the Viedgesville to Coffee Bay road, Engcobo to Khowa and revitalise the Tsitsa Falls Bridge.”

She said R627m had been set aside for scholar transport to benefit 87,000 pupils.

“As the education department prepares for the reopening of schools, ours is to ensure that grade 7 and 12 learners are transported in line with the provisions of the learner transport policy.”