transport – praag.org

Russian planes everywhere: UK media hypes intercept

Most media reports based on the NATO statement failed to mention that the Russian planes did not cross any borders and remained within international airspace in every mentioned case

Two Royal Air Force jets reportedly threatened to shoot down a Latvian cargo plane, rushing at supersonic speeds to intercept it, after the plane failed to respond to air traffic control over Kent in Southern England and sent authorities into panic mode.

Russian planes everywhere

The excitement surrounding the intercept – apparently based on post-9/11 terrorist attack fears – came amid a heightened terror alert in the UK at the time of the allied military campaign against the Islamic State.

Media reports mirrored the panic frenzy triggered by the incident, but in a peculiar way: first saying that the cargo plane was “Russian” and then switching to a “Russian-made” reference, RT reported.

Both takes were wrong: the Antonov design bureau, the producer of An-26 planes, is a Ukrainian company founded in Soviet times, and the plane in question belonged to a Latvian-registered company, ironically called RAF-Avia.

However, the British media seemingly capitalized on the latest NATO reports of “unusual” increased activity of Russian military aircrafts over the Atlantic and the Black Sea.

NATO stated that it has intercepted four groups of Russian planes since Tuesday. “These sizeable Russian flights represent an unusual level of air activity over European airspace,” the alliance said.

Most media reports based on the NATO statement failed to mention that the Russian planes did not cross any borders and remained within international airspace in every mentioned case.

“I am instructed by Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom to warn you that, if you do not respond immediately to my orders, you will be shot down,” radioed one of the jets, according to an audio recording circulating in UK media.

The incident occurred at about 5pm local time after the Latvian Antonov An-26 aircraft failed to make contact with air traffic controllers.

British Typhoons were tasked with intercepting the cargo plane. “To fulfill their quick reaction role, they were cleared to travel at supersonic speed,” an RAF spokesperson said, adding that the speed explains the loud noise people heard in the air.

Many locals took to Twitter, describing how their houses shook after the loud bangs.

Communications with the civilian pilots were restored only after the jets intercepted the plane.

The Latvian plane was then escorted to London’s Stansted Airport at around 5:20 pm “All three people who were on board have been spoken to by police,” AP quoted Essex Police spokeswoman Emma Thomas as saying. “It was established that everything was in order and the reason for the short loss of communication was due to a change in airspace.

Gauteng might reconsider e-tolls

Moves are afoot to possibly scrap the use of e-tolls to fund the cost of building highways in the province in the future.

And although the idea has not yet been completely canned, initial indications are that the Gauteng government has heeded the dissatisfaction of motorists.

Gauteng Transport MEC Ismail Vadi told The Sunday Independent this week that they were taking a “second look at the matter”.

“We have had long discussions in the ANC Gauteng and in government. Phase one is done and we are working towards settling the debt. There is still dissatisfaction with the funding model. We are taking a second look at the matter,” said Vadi.

Just over 35 percent of road users who drive through gantries are paying their bills.

According to Transport Minister Dipuo Peters, less than 10 percent of the R543 million invoice that was transferred to the SA National Roads Agency Limited’s violations processing centre was recovered.

Vadi said that while there was a need to expand and upgrade our road infrastructure and expand our road network “for future infrastructure funding, we are looking at what our other options are”.

“E-tolls still remain a valid option but there are also discussions about a provincial fuel levy or a provincial tax or shadow tolling.”

He said the government would not scrap the e-tolls as it still considers them an important infrastructure.

Vadi’s statements come as Sanral’s publicised figures of having sold 1.2 million tags are undergoing independent auditing.

“There will be no review of phase one of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. Those are fantastic highways which have done wonders in easing traffic congestion but for phase two we will look at our options.”

Vadi is the only MEC who was retained in the same portfolio.

It means that things such as the Integrated Transport Master Plan 25 (ITMP25) – one of the brainchildren of his last term as transport MEC – are still on the table.

The ITMP25 is an ambitious 25-year transport plan which proposes a redesign in the public transport system.

In this plan rail will become the most important form of public transport in the long term, followed by the BRT system, then secondary buses and taxis within the municipalities.

“It was formally approved as the policy document of the Department of Transport and now the plan is to break down the 25-year plan into five-year workable units to look at what we focus on in this administration,” said Vadi.

His immediate game changer, as he calls it, is to get public transport on a better footing.

In Joburg the first two phases of the Rea Vaya have already been rolled out. Tshwane is in the construction phase of its A Re Yeng bus system while Ekurhuleni is still lagging behind and has just launched its project.

The first real roll-out in Ekurhuleni will only be evident in 18 to 24 months, said Vadi.

“It is a vast BRT network and it will give us a great footprint in public transport.”

He said the department had learnt many lessons from the first bus rapid transport system in Joburg, which experienced several delays.

One of the most important was that effort must be made to get a buy-in from the taxi and bus industries as there is a better chance to avoid conflict.

“The second phase launched with no problems and the indications are that up to 30 000 people are using the system, said Vadi.

Negotiations are under way on the next phase, 1C – Joburg Sandton, Alex – a route that has been plagued by taxi-related violence for many years.

Vadi is in no way oblivious to the violence that has gripped the industry but he believes there should be significant change in the way the taxi industry operates.

“They provide a vital service – 55 percent of commuters use the taxi industry. It may have been higher in the past but there is a declining ridership. They need to consider their business model.

“They need to professionalise and operate on scheduled times and shorter distances. We see a growing but more structured role for them,” he said.

The Metrorail network is outdated and suffers from many problems said Vadi, including cable theft.

There was also the future expansion of the Gautrain by a east-west line.

“The department is currently busy with a pre-feasibility study. Once that is approved, the funding will need to be secured. We are hoping to get this in this administration,” said Vadi.

Like the first Gautrain project, it will take 10 years to complete.

But Vadi pointed out that it was not a given that the train would be a Gautrain.

“The feasibility study may establish that a medium-speed train like the Gautrain is not needed and what is needed is a light-speed train. But the feasibility study will reveal that. The outcome is expected in the next 12 months.”

The good news for Gautrain users is that service hours are being extended – from 5am to 9pm and although fares during peak hours are on the increase, passengers using the train during off peak hours will see their fares reduced by 30 percent. – Excerpted from the Sunday Independent

Strikes in mining sector hit five-year high

The number of strikes last year in South Africa hit a five-year high, with the mining sector accounting for 82.4% of them, says the labour depratment.

A total of 99 strikes were recorded in 2012, close to half of them unprotected or wildcat strikes, and many of them characterised by violence, labour director general Nkosinathi Nhleko told journalists in Cape Town on Wednesday.

Tabling the latest Industrial Action Report, which covers the 2012 calendar year, he said strikes over the period involved 241 391 workers, cost the economy 3.3-million working days, and resulted in workers losing R6.6-billion in wages.

The trend was continuing into this year.

“From what we can all see, there is a continuation of the trend we experienced in 2012,” Nhleko said.

However, no figures were yet available for the current calendar year. Asked why so many strikes involved violence, he suggested this had to do with leadership.

“The issue of how parties in the dispute have got to conduct themselves … hinges largely around the issue of exercise of leadership.

“And when we cite leadership as a factor … it is also informed by the mere fact that when these things begin to happen, it is something that wants to suggest that at a level of exercise of leadership, there is something that has not been handled properly and … accordingly.”

‘Worrying’
This, Nhleko said, was a “worrying point”. He said “social partners” needed to tackle the issue of how to prevent violence during strikes.

According to the report, 99 “strike incidents” were recorded in 2012, compared to 67 in 2011; 74 in 2010; 51 in 2009; and, 57 in 2008.

“South Africa experienced violent, bloody and deadly industrial actions in the mining, transport and agricultural industries … Out of 99 strikes processed within the department, 45 strikes were unprotected.”

The department of labour said in a statement that “A feature of industrial action during 2012 was the heightened violence that accompanied strike action, particularly in the mining and transport sectors. The violence and damage to property that was evident in the agricultural sector should also be noted, although these were protest actions and not strictly strike action.”

Mining
The document finds most of the working days lost by industry were in the mining sector (82.4%).

“Wages, bonuses and other compensation issues still remain the main reasons for work stoppages in South Africa during 2012.”

Further, most workers involved in last year’s labour unrest were members of the National Union of Mineworkers.

Among the provinces, Gauteng – South Africa’s economic heartland – had the most work stoppages.

“Gauteng experienced 42 strikes in 2012, up from 33 in 2011, an increase of 27.3%.”

According to the report, workers still had confidence in the Labour Relations Act, the legislation governing bargaining processes and associated legislation, “[but] most of them believe that the cost of living is too high”.

Among its conclusions are that “government needs to take control of the situation and solidify practice and protocol with regard to wage negotiations before the nation’s mining sector becomes un-investable [sic] as a result of the strikes.” – Sapa