FAQ
Gauteng is South Africa’s smallest province in terms of land area but it has the highest population density with around 870 people per square kilometre. Land must be used as efficiently as possible, especially as urbanisation is a global trend and will continue in the foreseeable future. This means that the transport network is subjected to increasing demands that the current infrastructure cannot meet. Commuters are the most obvious users of the transportation system but the demand does not begin and end there. Goods and services can only be delivered efficiently if the transportation infrastructure is fit for purpose – with the effects felt in terms of the economy and social cohesion. All this adds up to a situation that cannot be left to sort itself out.
Doing nothing is not an option – it’s simply a dead end.
By definition, a master plan is a strategic tool, mapping out short-, medium- and long-term objectives while not micro-managing the actual implementation. An integrated approach combines and coordinates economic, logistic, technological, environmental and human factors with one end-result in mind: enabling the people of Gauteng to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow and make the most of their opportunities.
Transport is clearly the main focus of the plan – but this does not mean that its scope is limited to infrastructure. Ultimately, transport is about people. The ITMP25 is managed as a social project rather than a transport project, which can be seen in an overview of the key focus areas of the plan.
Currently Gauteng is heavily dependent on road transport. This is not sustainable for a variety of reasons, including population growth, economic pressures and environmental considerations. An over-reliance on road transport will lead inevitably to ever-increasing congestion and even total gridlock. The solution envisaged by the ITMP25 is based on three pillars, covering strategic changes that must be made:
Reduce travel:
- Change in travel patterns.
- Regularity & extent of travel in peak periods, trip lengths, etc.
Shift in modes:
- Shift from motorised to non-motorised transport
- Shift from private to public transport
- Shift from road to rail
Technology:
- Environmentally friendly technologies
- Intelligent transport solutions (ITS)