Transport and logistics

The upgrades to the N7 are moving ahead.

Sector Insight

According to the document, 58% of commuters use private vehicles to get to their destinations; 22% use minibus-taxis; 9% use bus services such as the MyCiTi and GABS; 2% use rail (a decline of 95% for the period 2012 – 2022); and about 10% walk.

The ongoing upgrades to the N7 highway which runs up the west coast are bringing economic benefits to the Swartland region. Martin & East were awarded the contract to widen a 25km section of the road near Moorreesburg and subcontracted 30% of the work to small businesses, in line with South African Road Agency’s transformation policies.

SANRAL started the upgrade of the N7 with the Melkbosstrand interchange in 2012 and has subsequently completed the Hopefield interchange. Altogether eight interchanges have been constructed and 46 major concrete structures built and upgraded. To the end of 2021, R333-million had been spent on “targeted labour” which includes black-owned entities, women-owned businesses, youth-owned businesses and persons with disabilities. A total of R529-million had been spent on SMMEs.

The City of Cape Town conducted a feasibility study in the course of 2022 on taking over the management of passenger rail services from PRASA. The city wants to have a fully-integrated system, which would include rail.

In 2022 the city’s Urban Mobility Directorate published an updated Comprehensive Integrated Transport Plan (CITP), outlining the strategies and plans for improving the transport environment in the metropole for five years to 2028.

A range of new factors were considered in drafting the plan, such as the virtual disappearance of passenger rail as an option, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the new trend towards remote working.

Online Resources

Airports Company South Africa: www.airports.co.za

Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa: www.prasa.com

South African National Roads Agency: www.sanral.co.za

Transport and Urban Development Authority: www.tct.gov.za

The Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA), located within the municipality, is responsible for planning, costing, contracting, regulating, monitoring, evaluating, communicating, managing and maintaining the City of Cape Town’s transport infrastructure, systems, operations, facilities and network. The provincial government is in the process of following the city’s lead with the establishment of a Mobility Department which will monitor the province’s transport programmes, such as financial support to bus and taxi services, the transport regulation mandate and extensive traffic management operations.

Cape Town International Airport regularly wins awards and is routinely named Africa’s Leading Airport. George Airport now welcomes over 800 000 passengers each year and also serves as a national distribution hub for cargo such as flowers, fish, oysters, herbs and ferns. George Airport is Africa’s first airport to be solar powered. Plettenberg Bay Aerodrome hosts CemAir which flies to and from Johannesburg and Cape Town. ■