Transport master plan targets Gauteng congestion

Public feedback on Gauteng’s ambitious 25-year Integrated Transport Master Plan (ITMP25) has closed and will be approved by the end of the year, “if all goes according to plan,” says TMP25 project leader, Jack van der Merwe. The ITMP25 was developed when projected figures indicated that current traffic congestion, fragmented transport planning and land use patterns in Gauteng did not support the longterm economic growth and development of the province. Strengthening freight rail and moving long-haul freight from road to rail is a key objective of the plan, which includes focus on the development of major rail-based freight logistic hubs located on the periphery of the core urban areas. “Gauteng experiences a number of constraints from a freight logistics perspective such as overloading and supply chain constraints. These can be limited through the expansion of existing and the development of new logistics infrastructure,” says Van der Merwe. The plan will begin by identifying and prioritising various freight hubs in the growth nodes and establishing freight intermodal facilities on the eastern periphery of Gauteng. There will also be a big push to decrease the number of heavy freight (5-and-more axle) vehicles in the central business districts. In the longer term the plan is for Transnet to establish efficient intermodal terminals on the periphery of Gauteng. “These terminals must be able to accommodate container and palletised traffic,” notes the plan. It also intends to create a freight ring road concept which will give Gauteng the opportunity to design the road infrastructure to accommodate abnormal loads. The plan believes that the introduction of a “user-pay system” would make it more attractive for heavy vehicles to use the road freight ring. “The strategy is to create an environment for heavy vehicle operators to utilise the freight ring network and intermodal facilities. The “user-pay” system in the CBD will increase the cost of using those roads for heavy vehicles with 5-and-more axles. A permit system could be introduced for 5-and-more axle vehicles that need to use the internal network,” according to the plan. INSERT & CAPTION Gauteng experiences a number of constraints from a freight logistics perspective. – Jack van der Merwe CAPTION Gauteng's congested roads ... getting worse by the day