You guessed it, government’s big plan to unclog South African roads in 2025 is – say it all together now – public transport. This story is gaining traction all around the country because October is Transport Month in South Africa. All major metros are saying they want to drastically reduce the number of cars on South African roads in 2025. And the way to do so is by improving existing public transport services and rapidly expanding new ones to previously underserved areas, reports TopAuto.
CARS OFF SOUTH AFRICAN ROADS IN 2025
Speaking in Cape Town for Transport Month, the city’s Urban Mobility Directorate, revealed a Comprehensive Integrated Transport Plan for 2025. And in it there were several fascinating takeaways about the metro’s traffic situation. One that is mirrored by other major metros in the country, said Rob Quintas, Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility:
- 89% of residents use the road network every day.
Of these …
While those remaining …
UNSUSTAINABLE
Factor in that most consumer goods are moved by truck (not railway) and you can see the inordinate strain being placed on South African roads in 2025. Accordingly, government believes this uneven distribution of commuters is unsustainable and will ultimately collapse the road network if something drastic isn’t done. Moreover, simply increasing road capacity is expensive and only a temporary fix.
However, Quintas understands that promoting public transportation will not necessarily get people to make the transition either. “We need people on buses where the MyCiTi bus service operates with passenger rail as the backbone of public transport, as is the case elsewhere in the world,” he said. One single PRASA train can accommodate 1 200 people, which theoretically could remove 1 200 single-occupant cars from the roads. Unfortunately, PRASA is only running one train every 20 minutes along the southern corridor.
EXPANDED BUS AND RAIL SYSTEM
Thankfully, Cape Town’s MyCiTi bus service has several expansion projects in the works. According to Quintas, the city is undertaking one of the largest infrastructure projects in Cape Town with the MyCiTi South East corridor expansion to Khayelitsha, Mitchell’s Plain, Wynberg and Claremont. Meanwhile, the Gautrain and City of Tshwane’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system also held a public activation for October Transport Month.
Authorities there say heavy congestion is plaguing the highways during peak hours, and they’re encouraging commuters to swap private vehicles for public transport, reports IOL. The CEO of the Gautrain Management Agency, Tshepo Kgobe, says trains and busses reduce commuters’ stress. Plus, removing cars from South African roads in 2025 will help reduce overall fuel consumption, vehicle maintenance costs, as well air and noise pollution. Accordingly, a single trip on the Gautrain saves 2.8 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) per passenger compared to driving a private car.
DO YOU THINK MZANSI’S ROAD ARE TOO CLOGGED AND WOULD YOU SWITCH TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT?
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