Revised National Transportation
Policy
The Land Transport Transitional Bill 1998,
soon to become law, provides for
the establishment of Metropolitan Transport
Authorities and the preparation of integrated transport
plans. This should enable better administration
and co-ordination of public transport. In the
long term, integrated planning should result in
a better land use structure which can be more
effectively served by the transportation
system.
Durban Metropolitan Transportation
Planning
Metropolitan-wide investigations, analyses,
forecasts and reports have been undertaken over
many years and, although certain recommendations
have been implemented, many have not due to a
lack of funds and political support. Road
project modelling, alternatives testing and
cost/benefit analyses have, however, resulted in
scarce resources being effectively invested.
An Inner City Transport Study was recently
undertaken, covering some 150 square kilometres,
and an Inner City Interim Transport Plan has
been prepared. A metropolitan-wide study is
getting under way. A major public transport
survey was recently completed covering Durban
CBD. A metropolitan public transport network and
services inventory is nearing completion.
Rationalisation of services is the next phase of
the project. Subsidised bus services are
progressively being converted to contracts with
the aim of stabilising or reducing subsidy
levels.
All
of these studies aim to make the transportation
system of the Durban Metropolitan Area
more sustainable by integrating transportation planning with
land use and other planning and
by rationalising available resources to best meet
the needs of the transportation
system. A sustainable transportation system will have a
reduced impact on the environment as
an effective public transport system will
be in place and congestion will be
reduced.
Durban Metropolitan Environmental Policy
Initiative
The draft Environmental Policy identifies the
importance of establishing a sustainable
transportation system in Durban.
