Gauteng freeway project is 'working'

Published Jun 14, 2012

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As much negative sentiment as there is about electronic tolling, the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project that the suspended e-tolling project was meant to retroactively fund has significantly improved traffic flow on the province’s major roads.

A two-year study by TomTom South Africa has found that the average travel time on the N1 North from Buccleuch to Old Johannesburg Road off ramp, probably SA’s busiest road section, has been reduced by 50 percent. What used to be an average travel time of 23 minutes throughout the day, can now be done in just under 13 minutes due to the GFIP project.

The TomTom traffic team also gathered the following interesting statistics on the GFIP:

-The 85th percentile evening peak commuter saves an average of 20 minutes daily for the abovementioned road section.

-Before GFIP, the average driving speed ranged between 10 and 85km/h which has increased to 65 and 110km/h after the completion of the initiative.

-After the redesign of the Allandale intersection the average speed improved by 70km/h during afternoon peak time.

-In the past the Buccleuch to New Road offramp trip used to take on average 15 minutes, but has now improved to as little as five minutes during afternoon peak hours.

-New Road in Midrand has not substantially benefitted from GFIP as the travel time remains the same.

The data in the study was gleaned from TomTom’s HD Live traffic information service, which measures real-time traffic conditions from the TomTom navigation units used by motorists. TomTom says HD Live saves motorists an average of 1 716 minutes (28.6 hours) in annual commuting travel time. -Star Motoring

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