September 17, 2002
By Thomas Thale
Johannesburg is formulating a plan to persuade motorists to leave their cars at home and hop onto buses, trains or even taxis to get to work - simply because it will be safer, more efficient and cheaper to do so.
The plan is part of a series of measures aimed at reducing congestion on city roads and promoting the use of public transport in the city. The National Land Transport Transition Act 22 of 2000 (NLTTA) requires local authorities to prepare a Public Transport Plan that will "develop, manage, integrate and promote public transport". The plan must consider the "needs of persons with disabilities, needs of learners, modal integration and standardise fare systems for public transport".
The City has commissioned consultants to develop an Integrated Transport Plan which will outline steps to be taken to improve public passenger transport in the city. Zwelakhe Mayaba, deputy director of transportation in the city, says the integrated transport plan is to be completed and tabled before the mayoral committee for approval early in the new year.
The brief of the consultants includes providing "an inventory of public transport infrastructure" and formulating a policy "for the feeder and distribution system at all stations located within the boundaries of Johannesburg".
The consultants are also to investigate the feasibility of establishing a Transport Authority for the city and come up with an operating license strategy. Although the Act recommends the establishment of a Transport Authority, this is not compulsory, according to Mayaba. "We may decide to consolidate existing structures like the Johannesburg Roads Agency". The consultants must also come up with an Operating Licences Strategy which contains clear "directives on the disposal of applications for operating licences on a route-by-route basis".
The goal is to upgrade and synchronise public transport so that buses, trains and taxis operate in a co-ordinated fashion. The Act thus provides a legislative framework for creating "an adequate public transport infrastructure, facilities and services with a view to increasing the utilisation of public transport services".
This initiative comes at a time when there is a marked decline in the use of public transport, with many people switching to private cars. Statistics released last year by the National Department of Transport indicate a significant decrease in the number of people using buses from 212 093 in 1996 to 172 808 in 1998. The use of private cars in the province increased steadily from 901 167 to 959 451 in the same period. The Joburg 2030 document estimates that "49% of trips are made in private cars, 29% in taxis and 13% in buses. In the last three years alone, road traffic volumes have increased by 26%".
The Gauteng province has already implemented other measures aimed at curbing traffic jams on public roads, including restricting heavy trucks on public roads during peak hours, an ambitious plan to develop a rail link between Jo'burg and Pretoria, introducing toll roads on major routes and promoting cycling as a mode of transport.
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