Negotiations about who the new concessionaire will be who runs the Gautrain in a new contract with the province’s Gautrain Management Authority (GMA), are nearing their end.
Residents and legislature members have recently expressed fear and warned of the collapse that will come once Gauteng makes its final payment at the end of March.
Economic development MEC Lebohang Maile said he considered the comments made to be dramatic and attention-seeking.
“The GMA has been in touch with the concessionaire and there is a process of handover; everything is running smoothly contrary to popular belief that this will fail.
“I saw a member of the legislature being dramatic, but what can you do when people want attention? So there is no problem, and that’s why we never responded. There is not going to be any interruptions; everything will run smoothly,” he said.
Although the current concession agreement ends on March 27, the GMA has temporarily extended the current operating agreement so that the Bombela Operating Company can continue running the Gautrain after March 28 while negotiations are still under way.
GMA stated that this extension allows the current operator to keep operating the train for up to six months, ensuring that passenger services continue without interruption until a new concession agreement is finalised.
By the end of March, the Gautrain will become a fully paid-up state asset valued at about R45bn, which Maile said will place the province in a stronger position to maximise the long-term economy.
“So it is a very strategic asset that is important for the province and the country. The new concessionaire will be announced by the premier, but I can tell you that the adjudication process is complete and communication has been ongoing with the preferred bidder and the reserve bidder.
“There are currently negotiations about price and related matters. Once the negotiations are complete, that is when the premier will be able to make an announcement on the new bidder. We are looking to ensure that whatever the negotiations and whatever the outcome, it helps us as a provincial government to get quality service at a reasonable price, in the interest of safety,” he said.
Maile said the train will continue running smoothly through public-private partnerships as an entity-owned property.
Sowetan
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