PROJECT 2010 - Preparing South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™

Project 2010 - A Twenty Ten Media and Marketing Initiative

PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD

Transport

Gautrain passes one million mark – 23/09/2010Gautrain

The Gautrain this week celebrated carrying one million train passengers since opening phase one of the multibillion rand rapid rail project before the 2010 World Cup. Fin24.com reports that this milestone coincided almost exactly with 100 days of operation, Gautrain said. It said the next big milestone in the life of the R25bn project will be the opening of phase two scheduled for the later half of 2011.

Full Fin24.com report

Bus drivers on wildcat strike – 20/09/2010

Bus drivers for the Johannesburg Bus Rapid Transport service Rea Vaya are on a wildcat strike. The News Times notes that this was the same unit that embarked on illegal strike action during the FIFA World Cup 2010 which left fans stranded at stadiums and embarrassed the entire country. The illegal strike without warning has left commuters stranded and seeking alternative transport to work. As yet no basis has been given for the strike.

Full News Times report

Government urged to move quickly – 10/09/2010

The government needs to move quickly if it is to capitalise on gains in the transport sector made during the 2010 World Cup, according to a survey released recently. ’Our analysis indicates that currently there’s an opportunity to capitalise on these positive experiences and the potential change in the public’s mindset with regard to public transport,’ said Deloitte director of transport services Dee Botha. According to the survey of 1 477 people, most of the middle to upper income earners polled said they used private vehicles to attend matches, notes a report on the News24 site.

Full report on the News24 site

IRT business model slammed – 11/08/2010

Former taxi operators and owners could soon be the proud owners of the city’s state-of-the-art MyCiTi bus fleet, valued at over R100-million, which the city plans to sell to a bank which will, in turn, lease them to the operators, notes a Cape Times report. But this plan to revolutionise the public transport sector and the taxi industry comes amid concerns that the entire Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system could be hit by major financial difficulties. The IRT business model has come under severe criticism from the Chamber of Commerce and some councillors. The city has already bought 43 vehicles, which were used during the World Cup. These are owned by the city, which has already trained 130 drivers, with three-quarters coming from within the taxi industry and the rest recruited.

Full Cape Times report

New BA flight to SA - 05/08/2010

Cape Town has scored the first golden goal of the 2010 World Cup: a second daily passenger flight from London due to the Mother City’s sky-rocketing popularity among British tourists. British Airways this week announced results of a passenger survey that identified Cape Town as Brits’ favourite holiday destination. The Times notes that as a result, it will offer a second daily flight between Heathrow and Cape Town, before the 2010 summer holiday season. Full report in The Times timeslive.

Full report in The Times

Extra buses and trains for charity cup – 05/08/2010

The Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) system will be running additional buses for spectators going to the Telkom Charity Cup Game at Soccer City on Saturday, notes a report on the IoL site. ’We want to make sure that we can offer spectators the same world class service that we offered during the 2010 World Cup,’ said member of the mayoral committee for transport, Rehana Moosajee. ’We urge soccer lovers to use the Rea Vaya BRT for a safe and quick journey to and from the stadium’, she said.

Full report on the IoL sitereport

Taxi operators to pocket R16m – 04/08/2010

Limpopo taxi operators who ferried soccer fans to five fan parks across the province during the 2010 World Cup will soon receive R16m for their efforts, notes a report o nthe News24 site. Spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport, Clarissa Naidoo, said that the money was part of R25m the department had budgeted for the transportation of fans during the soccer showpiece. ’We have already started making payments to different district taxi councils who will then pay individual operators...,’ said Naidoo.

Full report on the News24 site

Three-month grace period for permits – 29/07/2010Three

The North Gauteng High Court has granted truck drivers three months to adjust to a new system that requires foreign drivers operating SA trucks to obtain work permits rather than use visitor permits. A Business Day report says the move was in line with the Department of Home Affairs’ continued tightening of entry requirements into SA that started before the 2010 World Cup.

Full Business Day report

Minister praises transport operators - 14/07/2010

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele on Wednesday saluted transport operators for ’rising to challenges’ and ensuring that transport moved smoothly during the Soccer World Cup. ’Given the deep-seated historical legacy of apartheid-inspired geographical marginalisation of the majority of South Africans and decades of under-investment in public transport, access and mobility was going to be a challenge in hosting the World Cup,’ Ndebele said.

Full Mail & Guardian Online report

O.R. Tambo will be able to cope – 08/07/2010

O.R. Tambo International airport will be able to deal with the influx of planes that will be flying into Johannesburg for the 2010 World Cup final at Soccer City on Sunday, says Acsa. On Wednesday, scores of soccer fans missed the semi-final between Spain and Germany at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium because the newly built King Shaka International Airport was unable to handle the number of flights landing there. Sport24 reports that air traffic into Johannesburg for Sunday’s final is expected to be exceed the number of flights that flew to Durban.

Full Sport24 report

WC flights fiasco - 07/07/2010

Three planeloads of soccer fans headed for the World Cup semi-final between Spain and Germany were forced to turn back from Durban’s King Shaka International Airport, forcing the fans to miss the match. Sport24 reports that Spain won the match 1-0, to go through to the final for the first time. Two planes from Johannesburg and one from Cape Town were refused permission to land after the airport was swamped by arrivals, said airport spokesperson Colin Naidoo.

Full report on the Sport 24 site

Over 50 000 flights authorised during WC - 06/07/2010

South African skies have been kept buzzing over the 2010 World Cup with over 50 000 flight authorisations issued, the defence department said. ’To date 12 621 aircrew have been screened and 51 294 flight authorisations have been issued,’ said departmental spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini. According to Business Report, he said there had been few violations of flight regulations during this time, comprising ’less than 0.1 percent’ of flights authorised.

Full story in Business ReportBusiness

Scramble for flights to SA - 05/07/2010

European airlines are making emergency arrangements to cope with the demand from football fans. FIN24 reports that the 2010 World Cup is now almost a purely European affair. In the semi-finals, Germany will play Spain on Wednesday, while the Netherlands and Uruguay battle it out on Tuesday. The interest in flights has increased and KLM is doing its utmost to accommodate the augmented demand, Saskia Kranendonk, KLM press officer, says.

Full FIN24 report

Airline industry recovers - 01/07/2010

After about two years of losses the global airline industry has recovered to prerecession levels, with African airlines reporting a strong rise of 16.9% in passenger demand in May, likely to be boosted last month and this month by soccer fans flying to this country for the 2010 World Cup. International Air Transport Association (Iata) economists pointed out in their monthly analysis of international travel that African airlines were benefiting from ’more success in maintaining market share’.

Full story in Business Report

Aarto implementation delayed – 01/07/2010

Implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of the Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act will be delayed for a couple of months, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said. The Herald reports that RTMC acting CEO Collins Letsoalo saidlaw enforcement officers’ role in the 2010 World Cup had hampered preparations for the implementation of the project.

Full report in The Herald

LOC to pay over drivers bungle – 25/06/2010

The LOC will pay thousands of rand to a group of drivers it had contracted to transport one of the teams for a job they did not do. The Sowetan reports that one of those contracted was Moshiashi Motumo of Honeydew, Johannesburg, who was assigned to work with the New Zealand team. Motumo and four other drivers were supposed to start work on June 6, ferrying members of the team to stadiums, training sessions and hotels. Their contract stipulates that they would start work ’effective from June 6 ... until the team you are allocated to is knocked out of the soccer spectacular’.

Full report in The Sowetan Sowetan

Discord in English squad - 21/06/2010Discord

England’s John Terry made ’a very big mistake’ talking to the media about player unrest in the squad, hardline coach Fabio Capello said. The England manager criticised his former captain for discussing squad morale publicly rather than with him as management and players closed ranks to deny talk of mutiny in the camp. ’I don’t understand why he didn’t speak with me,’ the Italian told Britain’s ITV television channel in an interview.

Full report on the IOL site

Paraguay beat Slovakia - 20/06/2010

Paraguay beat Slovakia 2-0 in a Group F clash at the Free State Stadium. The opening half was controlled impressively by the Albirroja, though only Enrique Vera could find the net. Half-time seemed to half the South Americans’ momentum, but Slovakia barely stretched their opponents. Cristian Riveros secured the victory with five minutes remaining.

Full Kick Off report

Greece beat Nigeria 2-1 - 17/06/2010

Greece beat ten-man Nigeria 2-1 in a thrilling encounter on Thursday to record their first ever victory at a World Cup finals. It also kept their World Cup dreams alive in a match that hinged on a first half red card for the African team. The Euro 2004 champions - who had lost all three matches in the 1994 finals and then to South Korea in their opening group match here - knew that defeat would end their hopes in South Africa and fell behind early on.

Full CNN report

Rea Vaya drivers back at work - 15/06/2010

Rea Vaya bus drivers will go back to work following their ’illegal’ strike that left hundreds of soccer fans stranded at Soccer City, the company said. ’After a lengthy meeting...an agreement was reached which will see a return to work of drivers of both the ordinary commuter service and the 2010 event services this morning,’ Clidet chief executive officer Jackie Huntley said. Sport24 reports that Clidet is the company which manages Rea Vaya.

Full Sport24 reportFull

Airports performing under pressure – 14/06/2010

Airports around the country say they are coping with increased passenger traffic due to the World Cup, and are prepared for more, notes Sport24 report. Last week, the day before France and Uruguay met for their first 2010 World Cup match at the Cape Town Stadium, more than 23 000 passengers went through the gates of Cape Town International Airport. On the same day in 2009 just over 19 000 people were processed at the airport.

Full Sport24 reportSport24

Gautrain a roaring success – 14/06/2010

What did more than 20 000 South Africans decide to do with their Sunday? Why, try out the Gautrain of course. The Star reports that the spanking-new train system was the ultimate attraction in the city, with families taking a ride to try out the much-vaunted railway transport. Bombela’s marketing executive, Errol Braithwaite, said they had the biggest demand on their system yet, and they had to get more trains and ask staff to work in order to cope. The story echoes the success of the World Cup so far, but unlike the slick Gautrain, World Cup transport has been a nightmare.

Full report in The Star

Tragedy averted at lanseria airport - 13/06/2010

Lanseria Airport is shut down after a plane made an emergency landing on its main runway on Sunday - and movie star John Travolta is one of the most prominent pilots who might have their flight plans delayed, notes a report on the IoL site. ’The airport is closed unfortunately... we have lots of aircraft still to land and take off,’ said Johan Opperman, marketing and public relations manager for Lanseria airport.

Full report on the IoL sitereport

Soccer City roads closed – 11/06/2010

Roads around Soccer City stadium will be closed to traffic ahead of the 2010 World Cup kick-off on Friday, Johannesburg metro police said. Sport24 reports that the Soweto motorway from Booysens, Nasrec road from Main Reef road to the M1 and the Diepkloof turn-off from the N1 into Randshow road will be closed from 09:30, spokesperson Edna Mamonyane said. Anyone going to Soweto during the closures will have to use the M1, N12 and the N1, but they cannot get off at any of the affected roads.

Full Sport24 report

Soccer City roads closed – 11/06/2010Soccer

Full Sport24 report

Excitement on 1st Gautrain trip – 09/06/2010Excitement

Several residents got up before dawn to be among the first Gautrain passengers on Tuesday, notes a report on the News24 site. A group of more than 60 people – most of them members of the Facebook group Gautrain Inaugural Breakfast Run – took the ride from Sandton station to OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park to have breakfast at the Wimpy. Although many of them had problems with the card machine and were unable to make the first train at 05:24, a large group in great spirits took their seats at about 06:00 on one of the trains. The excitement was almost palpable.

Full report on the News24 site

Fans urged to use public transport – 09/06/2010

Soccer and music fans who are planning to go to Thursday’s 2010 World Cup opening concert at Orlando Stadium and Friday’s opening ceremony and first match at Soccer City should plan their route well and give themselves enough time. Sport24 reports that this was the message from the Johannesburg metro police and city council. Sibongile Mazibuko, executive director of Johannesburg’s SWC 2010 office asked people to use the park-and-ride facilities. Director Gerrie Gerneke of the Johannesburg metro police and operational head at Soccer City during the World Cup, said there was no parking available in the vicinity of the Orlando Stadium during the concert.

Full Sport24 report

Improved system to remain after WC – 08/09/2010Improved

The billions of rands spent on upgrading South Africa’s public transport for the 2010 World Cup will benefit South Africans long after the final match of the big tournament is played. ’It is here and it is not going to go away after 2010. The infrastructure that is now in place will still be here in August and even next year,’ Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said. Ndebele was confident that the country’s integrated transport infrastructure and networks would meet the needs of the 2010 World Cup.

Full allAfrica.com report

Fans urged to use park and ride – 08/06/2010

The LOC urged soccer fans who will watch the 2010 World Cup to use park-and-ride facilities. The Sowetan reports that the warning comes after many people used their cars to travel to Bafana Bafana’s last four international friendlies. Hundreds of people opted to use their cars to get to the games against Bulgaria, Colombia, Guatemala and Denmark.

Full report in The SowetanFull

Stick to WC traffic rules – 08/06/2010

Durban city manager Mike Sutcliffe has called on 240 transport operators contracted to the city to operate from park-and-ride venues during the 2010 World Cup to obey the rules. The Sowetan reports that Sutcliffe, speaking at the launch of the transport shuttle service, told the transport operators that the city’s traffic police would not harass them if they abided by the rules of the road.

Full report in The Sowetan report