The renowned issue of traffic congestion in the City of Johannesburg was a hot topic of the discussion in the City’s latest webinar series for Transport Month.
Hosted by MMC of Transport Nonhlanhla Makhuba on 12 October, the discussion aimed to raise awareness on the various aspects required to decongest traffic in the city with particular emphasis on peak morning and afternoon periods.
The councillor highlighted that traffic congestion has remained a global challenge that affects even the most developed cities in the world. “As an economic hub, our [Johannesburg’s] rate of urbanisation, issues of historic spatial planning and the rapid growth of development have exacerbated this challenge,” said Makhuba.
In our backyard, Sandton Central Management District manager Elaine Jack added that even Sandton’s success as a business network is not immune to traffic-related challenges. “Congestion is one of the symptoms of any thriving business node and historically, the knee-jerk response to traffic and congestion was to provide more road space, but this is not considered to be a sustainable option anymore.”
Makhuba added that although the City has made strides toward mass transit with the expansion of the Rea Vaya, particularly the new Phase 1C route which connects Joburg CBD with Sandton and Alexandra, there is still more work to be done as a collective to address issues such as of residents living far away from their places of work and/or education.
“Households spend over 40 per cent of their monthly income on transport costs,” Makhuba estimated.
According to Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) acting Chief of Police Angela Mokasi, traffic congestion in the city has also become an enormous challenge for JMPD. “[This is] due to failures, load shedding, cable theft and scheduled maintenance.”
Mokasi added that JMPD will continue to deploy additional officers at major traffic intersections across all seven regions in the City.
In the meantime, Jack believes that this is the perfect time for City officials to re-think and re-imagine how to optimise the current road infrastructure effectively.
She added that although Covid-19 has drastically changed commuting conditions in Sandton CBD, the hustle and bustle will once again ‘return to normal’.
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