New plan to ease Bayhead congestion

STAKEHOLDERS HAVE
come up with a new
proposal to address
chronic congestion at the
Bayhead Road complex
– the only access to the
Port of Durban’s main
container terminals – but
authorities have been
slow to react.
"The plan is to have
keep-clear chequer
board markings at all
the junctions along
the Bayhead Road to
allow access/egress to
the businesses in the
area in peak hours and
no-stopping, no-parking
logos painted along the
emergency lanes,” says
David Wilkinson, owner
of Elcon Crane Hire
and head of the subcommittee
of the Durban
Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (DCCI)
tasked with finding
measures to overcome
the Bayhead congestion
problem.
“Despite meetings
with the department in
charge of road signs and
the traffic management
department, nothing
has yet happened,” said
Wilkinson. “And, without
this signage, the Durban
metro police can’t take
action.”
According to Wilkinson
the road is still under
pressure despite a number
of attempts to overcome
the problem of road
transport logjams.
“The congestion has
been reduced to a certain
extent with the opening
of the A-check facility
at the Durban container
terminal (DCT) and its
300 vehicle parking
allocation,” he said.
The objective of the
DCCI sub-committee
which he heads is to find
appropriate means of
containing congestion for
the next two-to-three
years of expected rapid
traffic growth at the
port – with the current
forecast being in excess of
10% growth a year.
“The A-check is only
seen as a short-term
respite,” Wilkinson added,
“and we still see jam-ups
in Bayhead.”
In trying to overcome
the congestion, the
DCCI has formed a good
working relationship with
Superintendent Arnand
Maharaj of the traffic
police – who is assisting
with the tidying-up of
the junctions along the
Bayhead, South Coast and
Langeberg Roads.
“He’s tried to put
traffic officers to control
these junctions,” said
Wilkinson, “but it’s
proving difficult, because
he is very short-handed.
“But when the officers
are present, they’re
extremely effective.”