Traffic toll another toll on e-toll roads

Howard Dembovsky of the Justice Project says public transport in South Africa is not cheap and certainly not safe on public roads. Image: Who's Who in SA

According to the South African National Roads Agency, traffic volumes on the Ben Schoeman - that includes portions of the M1, N1 and N14 - has increased by 7% year-on-year since 2010.

In 2010 an IMB global survey showed 300,000 cars used the Ben Schoeman daily. Today's volume, considering the year-on-year increases equates to about 393,000 cars a day.

However, Sanral now claims that one million vehicles a day use the road. Working from the base of 300,000 cars a day in 2010 and taking the 7% year-on-year growth into account it's clear that Sanral's claims are pie-in-the-sky. So either the base figure was wrong or Sanral's talking nonsense because the correct figure is just over 393,000 cars a day.

Even if Sanral says that the base figures for usage was one trip of 300,000 cars and the return trip was an identical number, that would equate to 786,000 vehicles.

Sanral spokesman Vusi Mona said several factors influenced congestion on the highway and among these were urbanisation and economic growth.

He said research showed a year-on-year increase in traffic of between 5% and 7%. So either the base figure was incorrect or Sanral claims are incorrect.

Urban planning designer Chris Pombrol said the number of cars was growing rapidly with the growth of the black middle class. Road and Traffic expert Howard Dembovsky said that, even with both Gautrain and Rea Vaya public transport services, many people felt it was cheaper or more convenient to use their own cars.

"Public transport is not as cheap as it was intended and safe public transport in South Africa is a dream," he said.

TomTom's 2013 traffic report says SA is the only country in the world with its worst congestion on a Monday: for the rest of the world it's on a Wednesday.

Source: The Times via I-Net Bridge