Pretoria - The city’s plan for an integrated transport system is on track and might deal with high traffic problems in and around the city centre.
More public transport lanes could also be next on the cards in creating a comprehensive integrated transport plan for the capital come 2055.
Mike Krynauw, civil engineer and transport planner for the city, said the metro would in light of traffic congestion in certain areas look into creating short additional lanes for public transport systems. He was speaking at the Transport Forum Interest Group with the theme, Public Transport - A look into the Future, in Lynnwood on Thursday.
He said the city was looking at implementing lower-cost interventions such as high occupancy vehicle lanes along major corridors for all forms of public transport in the near future.
“The creation of priority lanes at major intersections for public transport can make a huge difference in the time it takes for these vehicles to get through in the morning and afternoon peaks.”
Another issue was the removal of heavy vehicles and capital freight activities from the CBD.
“While some might say it is just adding another road, in the bigger scheme of things it will be dealing with public transport as much as it deals with private transport and freight vehicles. At the moment, it takes up to five days to get a container from Rosslyn to Capital Park because it has to be on railway lines,” he said.
“We want to shorten travelling distances, and there are crucial elements that we are working on to bring more modes of transport into the city, with higher occupancies.”
Apart from creating an integrated transport system, plans to regenerate the inner city are also in motion as part of the inner city master plan. This will include the redevelopment of Salvokop, creation of a Pretoria station node, the development of the Government Boulevard, parking facilities in the city, the pedestrianisation of certain streets and more rapid transit lanes.
Pretoria News