The construction project has been marred with allegations of corruption since its inception. Workers have been downing tools almost every week due to non-payment of their salaries and other contractual issues. Just last week they again went on strike as they had not been paid their December salaries. Some could not meet their monthly engagements, while others had to resort to borrowing money from loan sharks just to send money home for the festive season.
The workers have since gone back to work after a portion of their wages was deposited into their accounts following the intervention of local municipal officials. “Things are bad here; we are being treated as if we are not human. When we raise our concerns we are told that this is a provincial project yet no-one comes to us and tells us anything. this project will come to an end in 2020, I tell you,” said a worker sarcastically.
Travelling for Sedibeng locals and visitors was set to become easier with the launch of this modern transport facility signaling a change for the better in how the townsfolk get from point A to B. Yet commuters are the ones who are left with egg on the face and in the dark as they are not being made aware of the progress and are left to use the small rank near the train station.
“We are not given any feedback about the project; they forget that we are very important stakeholders in this thing. They are satisfied to have left us at that dump they call a rank, where nyaope boys do as they wish, where when it rains it is just a mess,” says an angy commuter.
In 2014 the Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport launched the R65 million project as part of a joint initiative with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) and the Sedibeng and Emfuleni municipalities to upgrade the Vereeniging Station precinct. Prasa was said to have set aside R165 million for the project, making the total cost of the project, which was scheduled to be completed over the next 24 months, R245 million.
It was said that the the project entailed the reconstruction of the then Taxido Taxi Rank into an intermodal transport facility, while PRASA assumed responsibility to renovate the Vereeniging Station; develop a commercial and shopping mall; improve the train drivers’ facility and increase parking at an estimated cost of R165 million. Since then what can be seen through construction barricades are mere steel structures and unfinished hawkers stalls here and there. The contractor has been on site since 15 January 2014 and Phase 1 of the project was scheduled to be completed within 12 months.
Vadi said that the Taxido taxi rank was designed to accommodate only 400 taxis, but almost 800 taxis were using the facility. The rank was heavily congested and the facility was in poor physical condition. The newly launched project was supposed to redress this situation by creating ranking facilities for 605 taxis.
“The new intermodal facility is integrally linked to the railway station and the proposed vendor stalls, and commercial and shopping facilities,” said Vadi during the launch of the project. He had emphasised that the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport remains committed to building and transforming the public transport system in the province. He cited the Gautrain; the Bus Rapid Transit systems in Johannesburg and Tshwane; the upgrading of the OR Tambo International Airport and the revitalisation of Metrorail by PRASA as examples of the good work that is being done to build a credible and modern public transport system. In Vereeniging this remains to be seen.
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