Mayor of Johannesburg Parks Tau has said the number of daily commuters has increased by 3.4 percent per annum, and Sandton has now become a ‘parking lot’ during peak hour traffic.
“On a daily basis between 7.30am and 8.30am, about 95 700 people move into Sandton, while just over 50 000 travel out – this is more than 100 000 people daily,” Tau said.
He also said that when Sandton City was built in 1973, the City did not expect the suburb to become the epicentre of Joburg. While some would argue that Sandton is in this predicament as a result of bad planning, others might say that what’s done is done and we need to look forward.
So … looking forward – is the mayor’s plan for October going to work? Does public transport solve the problem?
To be honest, I have no idea but am really looking forward to the experiment.
I don’t have a bicycle and laugh every time I think about getting one – my knees will be black and blue for days as I attempt to navigate the pedals and find myself on the dusty pavements. I would also have to invest in a pair of good takkies.
But jokes aside – public transport has improved over the years and this experiment might just work. With the likes of Gautrain, Uber and the various taxi services available, it is absolutely possible to get from point A to point B without the use of a private car. However, how much it would cost to get from one point to the next, is another discussion altogether.
All said and done, we might not like it, or we may applaud it, but the fact is that it is going to happen either way.
So cancel those gym contracts, invest in a bike and welcome to a new Sandton (for a month).
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