City of Cape Town develops freight transport strategy

The City of Cape Town is in the process of developing a detailed freight strategy that should be completed within the next six months. Speaking to FTW on the sidelines of the recent monthly Transport Forum in the Mother City, Melissa Whitehead, commissioner transport for the City, said the strategy would guide city fathers in dealing with the issues around freight. “The strategy is part of the City’s plan to transform the current fragmented transport system into an integrated, multi-modal system,” she said. Launched last year, Transport for Cape Town has to date been focused on solutions for public transport and is built around a vision of ones – one standard infrastructure and operations, one timetable, one ticket, one fare, one transport brand. “While the work around Transport for Cape Town has mostly been in the public transport arena, we recognise the importance of freight and the role it plays,” said Whitehead. “Our vision of one efficiently managed network that includes both road and rail has to service the freight industry as much as the commuter.” She said freight and public transport were intrinsically linked, which was why the freight strategy was being developed in parallel with City plans for its public transport sector. “It is about putting freight on the right roads at the right time. We have been in discussion with role players and already we are starting to understand the dynamics and needs of freight. Ultimately our role as a municipality is to improve the economics of the City which will in turn benefit our freight sector.” She said while the plan was still in draft stages it would ultimately speak to the specific needs of the freight industry. “For example if one has cargo that is not time-sensitive it is to the City’s benefit if the trucks are not picking up or delivering during peak hour – but where would these trucks then wait? It would then be in the City’s interests to service the freight industry by creating a staging area for those trucks,” she explained. “Or if cargo is time-sensitive to create a mechanism where the cargo owner, if willing, can pay a certain fee to move faster through the system. That way they are avoiding congestion and seeing a faster turnaround time of their vehicles while the City is also generating funds that can be ploughed back into the transport sector. It is about finding synergies and working together.” She said City officials were under no illusion that there was a quick fix to many of the challenges. “We understand that it will take time to explore and develop the right solutions, but we hope to work closely with the freight industry in the development of this strategy so that we can deliver something that ultimately speaks to the needs of all the stakeholders and role-players.” INSERT & CAPTION It would be in the City’s interests to service the freight industry by creating a staging area for trucks carrying non time-sensitive cargo. – Melissa Whitehead