9 October 2007

By Alan Cooper and Ken Mchunu

TRAFFIC snarl ups should ease somewhat come December with the opening of Durban's first dedicated public transport lane, capping a massive two-year upgrade of the Western Freeway.

The new lane, open only to taxis and buses, will run between the Candella Road and Botanic Gardens Road bridges in both east and west-bound directions. Other motorists have been warned to stay out of this lane, or face a stiff fine, with CCTV cameras with number plate detecting technology to be installed to cover the 3km passage.

Drivers will be able to easily tell it apart from other lanes not only because it is on the extreme right of the freeway, usually the fast lane, but also because they'll see red, literally. Over the next two months, contractors will be erecting signs and laying a special, eye-catching red asphalt surface on the dedicated lane. The development is in line with global public transport trends and has already been credited with easing congestion in Cape Town.

City officials are confident it will be as successful here in cutting down frustrating delays faced by motorists and bus and taxi passengers. It is also aimed at encouraging more people to use public transport ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

Carlos Esteves, Roads Systems Manager at the eThekwini Transport Authority, said the R15.5-million project aimed to reduce travel times and increase road capacity for public vehicles on what he described as "the most congested stretch of the Western Freeway, at peak times".

"Between 400 and 600 buses and minibus taxis travel in the eastbound direction during the morning peak hour. A further 900 to 1 000 buses and minibus taxis use the freeway in the westbound direction during the afternoon peak hours."

Esteves said that with a major Western Freeway upgrade already underway, his department felt it was an ideal opportunity to convert the additional lane under construction into a public transport lane before it was used by all vehicles.

He said several options had been considered, including raising the lane from the rest of the road. However, the plan was rejected as pools were likely to gather in rainy weather.

"The transport industry has approved the plan with great enthusiasm and now work is underway," Esteves said. The transport authority's Deputy Head, Logan Moodley, said he was aware commuters had been inconvenienced.

"We thank commuters for their patience during the Western Freeway upgrade, a necessary project that saw many disruptions over the past two years, but we promise it will be worth it in the end for all motorists."

The new public transport lane is due to open in December. A similar lane on a stretch of the Nkosi Albert Luthuli Highway (Southern Freeway), is planned for next April.

Source: ethekwini.gov.za