Transport infrastructure gets budget boost

FINANCE MINISTER Trevor Manuel mentioned “transport” seven times in his 2008 budget. One of the announcements was increased expenditure on infrastructure, including road and rail. “A total of R17 billion is added to the budgets of the departments of housing, provincial and local government, water affairs, sport and recreation and transport over the next three years, mainly for infrastructure,” he said. He also warned that changes were being forced by the growing shortage of energy resources – both fossil fuels and electric power. “Our economic growth over the next decade and beyond cannot be built on the same principles and technologies, the same energy systems and the same transport modes that we are familiar with today,” he said.