The proposed expansion of the Gautrain service represents a significant waste of resources on a system that fails to meet the needs of the majority of Gauteng’s residents.

This is according to the Automobile Association (AA) who has called for a thorough reconsideration of this costly project, stressing the urgent need to halt the spending of billions on the extension.

The AA expressed serious concern over Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s recent announcement of a R120 billion investment into the Gautrain expansion over the next two years.

“In 2021, we made a detailed submission on the extension of the Gauteng Rapid Rail Integrated Network – Gautrain – and urged the provincial government to reject any extensions of the service, which we labelled a White Elephant. In our view, any extensions perpetuate a system that caters for a minority of citizens who don’t need it at the expense of better public transport for the majority who need it most,” said the AA.

The AA also highlighted the issue of the Patronage Guarantee, a significant financial concern linked to the Gautrain expansion. This guarantee ensures that Bombela, the private concessionaire operating Gautrain, is compensated for low ridership levels.

According to the Gautrain Management Agency’s 2024 Integrated Annual Report, the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport paid Bombela R2.79 billion in the 2023-2024 financial year, and R2.37 billion in 2022-2023, due to actual revenue and ridership falling well below projections. Since 2012, billions of Rands in taxpayer money have been directed to Bombela through this mechanism.

The AA questioned the reliability of current revenue projections used to justify further expansions, given that past projections have consistently fallen short, resulting in substantial payouts to Bombela.

“It is quite clear that Gautrain failed to deliver on its ridership projections from the outset and now the burden of funding falls on taxpayers – the majority of whom don’t even use the system because it’s too expensive to do so. They are, in effect, subsidising a system that caters to the elite who are already mobile. The fact that Gautrain stations have some of the biggest parking lots in the province for the vehicles of those who use the system stands in stark contrast to those who have no transport solutions at all.

“In addition, there is a lack of reliable, sustainable, affordable, and safe public transport for the majority of the province’s citizens, many of whom must walk to their destinations because they have no alternative.”

The AA further expressed concern over the provincial government’s financial priorities. MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, recently warned that the province is nearing potential bankruptcy due to financial commitments, including e-toll debt. The AA noted that this warning seems contradictory to the Premier’s decision to invest billions into what they describe as a “financial train wreck.”

Siphoning money from the Gauteng Roads and Infrastructure budget to fund Bombela’s operations, effectively insulating them from poor performance, means that other, more essential transport services are being neglected, ultimately disadvantaging the majority of citizens in the province.

“We stand firm in our opposition to the extension of the Gautrain network, and the continued funding of the system through the Patronage Guarantee. A serious rethink of the expansion of the system is needed, particularly since it has shown that it cannot deliver on the numbers it projects and is, therefore, more of a liability than an asset,” concluded the AA.