Civil Engineering August 2022 | Vol 30 No 7

2 August 2022 Civil Engineering networks will need to be resolved in parallel to stepping up towards mass production. WOMEN AND TRANSPORT With August being Women’s Month, it is appropriate that I mention gender too. Since 2016, I have been involved in research regarding the travel experience of women and their exposure to sexual harassment. Based on an analysis using the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) 3 , it was interesting to see that there was no major difference regarding trip making, i.e. the number of trips and the distance travelled, between males and females in our South African context, while international literature indicates that women make more shorter trips, often for multiple purposes. In the more resent NHTS 4 , many users are dissatisfied with security on public transport. Worst is Metrorail, with 71% of respondents being (very) dissatisfied when walking to or from the station, 58% feeling (very) insecure when at the station and 65% of respondents feeling (very) threatened when in the vehicle. These percentages have increased since the previous NHTS 3 . While Gautrain is seen as a secure system, 46% of respondents are (very) dissatisfied with the security when walking to/from Gautrain stations. It is noteworthy to mention that the satisfac- tion levels for bus and minibus taxi modes have not changed significantly since 2013. Current gender-based work in the field of personal security when using public transport includes the development of a knowledge repository regarding trans- port-related measures to address sexual harassment, called the SHE-CAN tool 5 . The repository includes legal, educational, planning and management, policing and enforcement, vehicle design and road infrastructure measures. Measures have been bundled for different stakeholders, including policy makers, local govern- ment, enforcement agencies, transport operators and NGOs. Templates, refer- ences and case studies can also be found in the repository. The recent data analysis based on the NHTS underpins the need for a system such as the SHE-CAN tool. REFERENCES 1. Vanderschuren, M. & Lane, T. 2008. Transport Scenarios under Peak Oil – to 2030 . Association for the Study of Peak Oil (SA). Research Report submitted to the National Department of Transport, September 2008. 2. World Economic Forum. 2021. What is green hydrogen and why do we need it? An expert explains . Available: https://www. weforum.org/agenda/2021/12/what- is-green-hydrogen-expert-explains- benefits/ . 3. National Household Travel Survey. 2013. Statistics South Africa and Department of Transport. Pretoria, South Africa 4. National Household Travel Survey. 2020. Statistics South Africa and Department of Transport. Pretoria, South Africa 5. SHE-CAN Tool (under construction). Available: https://shecan-tool.info/ . Prof. Marianne Vanderschuren SAICE President 2022 marianne.vanderschuren@uct.ac.za D uring the meeting it became clear to SAICE that there were many governance aspects that the SANRAL Board had to consider before deciding to cancel the award of the tenders – a decision that they did not take lightly. The Board explained that the design engineers will continue to be in- volved in all their contractual obligations, which was welcomed by SAICE. The role of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) on these projects was also explained, namely an oversight role to support the SANRAL Board. However, some concerns remain, which SAICE voiced. For example, involving multiple parties may lead to blurred liability. The SANRAL Board is currently investigating this matter and acknowledges that SANRAL carries any risks until clarity is gained. The need to enhance policies and procedures and ongoing engagement with SANRAL’s team of engineering professionals was also acknowledged. It was recognised that any deviation from the regular terms and conditions of major tenders needs to be reviewed and approved by the SANRAL Board prior to publication. SAICE also highlighted the potential risks that the SANRAL Board must consider in the new path they have embarked upon, particu- larly relating to potential undercutting due to prices being in the public domain and the short re-tendering timeframes. SAICE invited the SANRAL Board to approach the institution for any input or support required in the future, for which the Board expressed its apprecia- tion. Closer collaboration opportunities regarding training and mentoring were discussed and will be fleshed out in further engagements. The latter will have a transformation focus, training the South African youth and empowering women. SAICE looks forward to embarking upon this collaboration with SANRAL. Through this engagement, the relation- ship between the SANRAL Board and SAICE has been strengthened, and the SANRAL Board commended SAICE on its professional conduct in raising its concerns on the matter. SAICE will continue to promote best practice and professionalism in the civil engineering industry on behalf of its members.  SAICE meets with SANRAL Board Following the media outcry regarding cancelled tenders by the South African National Road Agency (SANRAL), the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) met with the SANRAL Board. Both parties aired their concerns, requested clarifications, and explained their viewpoints.