​by King Mthombeni
MEC Jacob
Mamabolo launched the Provincial Smart Mobility 2030 Plan, a roadmap aimed at
addressing the city region’s transport challenges on Tuesday, 27 October 2020 in
Sandton, Johannesburg.  
The launch
formed part of 2020 October Transport Month Campaign with a special focus on
smart mobility as a key driver for economic growth in the province. 
Titled “Growing
Gauteng through Smart Mobility”, the strategy takes advantage of the province’s
current standing as a gateway to Africa and positions it as the freight and
logistics hub of the country and the continent.
The plan places
focus on the current transport scene and consolidates these into an integrated
plan to be used to improve the current transport system. It is also anchored
around three key strategic areas namely, Infrastructure, Operations and
Institutions which involves creating connected and integrated transport system
to better the lives and grow the economy
Referring to
the plan, MEC Mamabolo remarked that “the plan we are bringing to the people of
our province is about making mobility convenient. It is a blueprint of all the
network we will be doing throughout the term to integrate public transport, build
a smart transport infrastructure that leverages on available technology.” He
added that the plan prioritises rail as the backbone of the Gauteng’s transport
system.
The plan also
enjoins all spheres of government to work together, make use of smart mobility
to reduce traffic congestion, improve road safety, protect the environment and
make transformation more accessible and affordable.
To this end, the
Department has already made strides in operationalising the Transport Authority
of Gauteng. The authority is crucial in ensuring municipalities and provincial
government align their transport planning. 
Smart mobility
involves creating connected and integrated transport systems, which offer
flexibility and efficiency. This connectivity and integration cuts across all
modes of transport forming a compact, integrated and efficient transport
system.