Checking up on the Garden Route

On Monday and Tuesday, 12 and 13 August 2024, Minister of Mobility in the Western Cape Isaac Sileku held a series of meetings with senior officials and politicians in George and Hessequa municipalities.

The visits to, amongst others, the Executive Mayors and Municipal Managers of George and Hessequa dealt with the fostering and solidifying of several high-profile partnerships involving the Mobility Department and the municipalities.

Minister Sileku used these engagements to inform the intergovernmental stakeholders of the Department’s Strategic focuses and the 2024/25 Budget.

He also used the opportunities to present to the municipal role-players his vision and priorities for his term as Minister of Mobility.

The Minister said the priorities do not exclude any other departmental mandates, but the core focus is to facilitate affordable, safer, faster and an integrated public transport network for commuters. He said the department will also focus on improving the freight and logistics network. ‘Most important however’, he said, ‘is the commitment to dramatically reduce the number of road fatalities and injuries in the province.’

Both municipalities expressed a keen interest, and committed themselves, to accelerate the upscaling of rail freight to address specific economic needs.

Minister Sileku said: ‘An efficient and effective freight network is needed to enhance the unlocking of the Garden Route economy, and one of my focusses is to facilitate the driving and coordinating of a much-improved freight network. I will therefore continue to motivate the necessary authorities to restore the freight rail network in our province to its former glory. The multiplier effect of an efficient logistics network will undoubtedly be a key catalyst to sustained economic growth.’

Minister Sileku welcomed the opportunity to experience the ‘GO George’ bus service firsthand, during two bus trips. The Minister and his team took the first bus from the George CBD station to the Garden Route Mall.

Afterwards the Minister said “the Go George bus ride was extremely pleasant. The bus driver was friendly and professional, and the commuters were equally pleased with the service. The bus was clean, on time and had ample space for standing and seated passengers. This is what intergrated transport is all about.”

Following the bus ride, the Minister had an engagement with the George Link Directors, and he was visibly encouraged by the company’s quality and efficient service.

The George Link Directors shared, with the minister, their business expansion plans and explained that the George Link VOC is managed by a consortium of former mini-bus taxi operators and drivers. They told the minister that only three of their more than 400 employees did not come from the taxi industry.

The first day of the visit was concluded with a joint and extensive law enforcement operation on the N2 near Pacaltsdorp in George. The roadblock was a visibility operation to ensure a higher degree of safety and discipline amongst road users. During the roadblock 130 vehicles were stopped, searched and several fines were issued for an array of offences.

Speaking to a large group of law enforcement officers, Minister Sileku said, “one of my key priorities is to significantly reduce the number of road fatalities. These operations are crucial in achieving this goal. Our men and women in blue, are an integral part in achieving this key milestone. I am humbled by the diligence and professionalism of the traffic officers in carrying out this vital service.”

The last day of the visit was concluded with the training of the school patrol leaders of Albertinia Primary School. The scholar patrol training is part of the learner’s life skills curriculum. Minister Sileku said that the “passion and vigor, demonstrated by the learners, during the training, was heartwarming. The young learners are true ambassadors for road safety awareness.”

Reflecting on the two days visit to the Garden Route, Minister Sileku said the excursion and meetings were highly productive and that it reinforced his priorities for a connected society.