Travelling tips for the 2010 South Africa (May 2009)

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The upcoming 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup to be hosted in South Africa will pose challenges to the country’s transport infrastructure, since a huge influx of tourists is expected.

The controversial Integrated Rapid Transport services mooted for Johannesburg and Cape Town is on hold due to protests by the taxi industry, but might prove essential in 2010. It is expected that some form of IRT will be implemented by 2010 to enable quick and efficient bus transport on defined routes in these cities.

Several airlines operate between South Africa’s major cities, and charter services are available. Coach and intercity bus services operate daily on many routes, and intercity train services are available too. The capacity of all these services will be increased to cope with the event.

One of the most reliable and safest forms of transport in 2010 will be hiring a car. Anyone who wants to rent a car in South Africa must be in possession of a valid international driver’s licence. All the major rental car companies such as CarHire4Less, Budget, National Alamo, Hertz and Avis have rental car desks in all major centres and airports in South Africa. Roads are of good quality in and around the big cities; less so far off into the countryside.

An 830-strong fleet of buses has been commissioned by the South African Government to transport spectators, players and officials during the 2010 Soccer World Cup. However, this is still short of the 1 400 buses the Government had estimated will be required, so there might still be a relative shortage of bus transport during the event. Car rental companies are expected to boost the number of cars in their fleets to meet the demand in 2010, and to take up some of the shortfall in the bus infrastructure.

The Department of Transport have developed the “2010 Transport Action Plan” to meet the 2010 transport needs. In essence, this plan aims to:

• accelerate all existing transport plans and to maximise the existing transport infrastructure,
• improve public transport and encourage and promote its use
• integrate all existing public transport services
• accelerate the implementation of Government’s economic and sustainable development policies.

To these ends, Government will be investing heavily in rail upgrades, internodal facilities, call centre systems, public transport and the road infrastructure, airport-city links, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, freight services, intelligent transport systems and passenger safety. In fact, Government has committed itself to providing a train every five minutes during peak hours, and supply train services for 14 to 16 hours per day.

In Gauteng, the Gautrain Rapid Rail link between Pretoria, Johannesburg and O.R. Tambo International Airport is expected to carry thousands of passengers during the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.

Travellers from overseas are advised:

• not to use South African public transport on their own
• secure and conceal all valuables and do not carry them openly on your person
• to always carry the correct change, to avoid fumbling with a wallet and exposing yourself to risk
• to avoid crowded buses or trains, and close bodily contact with passengers
• to ensure that any vehicle travelled in is roadworthy, so as to minimise the prospect of a breakdown, and being exposed next to the roadside