The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has entered into a memorandum of understanding with several municipalities in Gauteng to establish a provincial transport commission aimed at improving transport service delivery and providing a reliable, affordable, safe, accessible and sustainable transport system in the city region.

The principal objectives of the envisaged Gauteng Transport Commission (GTC) would be to facilitate the implementation of the five-year Gauteng Transport Implementation Plan and the proposed 25-year Integrated Transport Master Plan.

More specifically, the GTC would facilitate joint planning and coordination around integrated rail planning, promote standardised intelligent transport systems, develop and integrate bus rapid transport systems, sup- port sustainable transport options, imple- ment travel demand management and foster cooperation with relevant transport stakeholders.

The GTC would be overseen by a governing body, which would include the MEC of Roads and Transport and the MMC responsible for Transport in each participating municipality.

An advisory panel of transport specialists would further support the commission, while funding for the GTC would be determined and provided for by the provincial transport department.

“Its day-to-day operations will be administered by the secretary of the commission, who will provide administrative, technical and professional support to the governing body. The secretary will also develop a yearly opera- tional plan based on the core areas of work of the commission, while managing its activities and programmes,” the department said in a statement.

The participating municipalities are the City of Johannesburg; the City of Tshwane; the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality; the West Rand district municipality; the Sedibeng district municipality; the Lesedi local munici- pality; the Midvaal local municipality; the Randfontein local municipality; the Westonaria local municipality; the Merafong City local municipality; the Mogale City local munici- pality; and the Emfuleni local municipality.