Cape Town - The City has proposed a strategy focused on road safety through ensuring that freight operators comply with regulations.
Some of the proposals will focus on transportation of dangerous goods, overloading, congestion and road safety, and the proposed strategy’s public participation process will conclude on 23 March.
N1 plan to ease congestion in Cape Town
Mayoral committee member for transport Brett Herron said the draft strategy proposed certain interventions to reduce the impact of road-based freight on the urban environment.
“Rail must be part of the plan,” he said, “and we will have to implement innovative solutions to reduce the overall cost of doing business in Cape Town.”
The department’s strategy will also include focusing on congestion caused by the freight moving to and from Cape Town along the N1, N2 and N7 - as many as 20 percent of vehicles on the N1 are heavy vehicles.
Herron said the N1, N2 and N7 freeways were the responsibility of other spheres or agencies of government for maintenance and upgrading but, because these roads led right into Cape Town, they fell within the City of Cape Town’s boundaries and formed part of its road network.
“In terms of the National Land Transport Act, the City has the competency and the mandate to designate approved routes for abnormal loads, dangerous goods and so on for the road network within our boundaries,” said Herron.
“Road-based freight movement forms an integral part of Cape Town’s local and regional economy.
“Our efforts to improve road-based freight transport must be seen in this context that a significant number of people are employed within the freight sector. Given the projected growth for this sector, it will be an important job creator going forward. We therefore want to ensure that our current and future road infrastructure support and provide for the current and future demand,” he said.
MANAGING ROAD-BASED FREIGHT
Herron said there would be no restriction imposed on freight transport, but noted the strategy acknowledged the fact that overloading and other freight-related transgressions of regulations were not adequately controlled; penalties for transgressions were low.
“The intention of this proposed strategy is to drive City policy in terms of the promotion of measures that mainly aim to reduce the impact of road-based freight through infrastructural changes, interventions and optimisation, and to encourage the use of rail for freight and innovation to reduce the overall cost of doing business in the city.”
Herron said other road users would benefit because road-based freight would be managed in such a way that their access and mobility needs are not compromised.
South African National Roads Agency Limited spokesman Vusi Mona said: “Due to the ongoing litigation between the City of Cape Town and Sanral involving the proposed N1/N2 Winelands Toll Road Project, we would not be in a position to comment on the proposed strategy.”
SA Transport and Allied Workers Union spokesperson Zanele Sabela said: “On principle, we welcome the strategy and note that its intentions are good. Its implementation will not only advance the economy, but will also ensure the longevity of the city’s road infrastructure.
“However, we urge Transport for Cape Town to rope in all relevant stakeholders before finalising the document.”