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Mass Transport Systems to Green SA
| News by Staff ReporterBillions of rands would be invested in mass transport systems across SA
South African President Jacob Zuma announced at the COP17 conference in Durban that government would invest billions of rands in mass transport systems in an attempt to “green” the economy.Zuma on Sunday announced at the World Economic Forum Green Partnership Dialogue that investing in mass transport systems would be a way of “greening” the South African economy.
“By 2014, the state-owned commuter rail company, Prasa [Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa], will invest R20-billion in new trains, most of which will be manufactured locally,” he said.
“Government will invest in mass-transport systems to reduce reliance on private cars,” said Zuma, outlining part of the New Growth Path set out by government.
“Initial steps have been taken on bus rapid transport and commuter rail.”
The New Growth Path is aimed at reducing emissions into the atmosphere by focussing on nuclear energy, renewable energy, green transport and the built environment.
Zuma said government would attempt to accelerate the shift of freight transport from road to rail through reviewing its rail investment programme and that the parastatal Transnet would invest R63-billion in the freight rail system over the next five years.
“For its part, organised business will continue to promote greater use of rail freight by companies,” said Zuma.
In addition to this Zuma stressed the importance of employing the youth and the previously disadvantaged, “In particular, government and business have set a target of 80 percent youth amongst new employees in the manufacturing and installation of solar-water heating systems as well as government’s public works programmes to green the economy.”
Together with local businesses SA’s electricity utility Eskom would work towards reducing emissions from coal-fired power plants, while according to the solar and wind energy industries a target of 50,000 new jobs has been set for 2020.
“Government will also support the installation of one million solar water heating systems by 2014 to 2015,” added Zuma.
He concluded that government’s New Growth Path could see a third of electricity generation over the coming decades being supplied by renewable sources.
Source: www.bizpremises.co.za
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