Windhoek seeking solution to traffic gridlock

Chamwe Kaira

CONGESTION ... If the transport system stays the same, average time for a car trip will increase from 10 minutes to 50 minutes due to congestion. If the Master Plan is implemented the trip duration will only increase to 23 minutes.

Photograph by Jordaania Andima

With cars driving at 120 km per hour on the Daan Viljoen road this rude driver had no choice but to wait and the more he delayed, the more the cars in the long queue behind him hooted and the more he waved his finger in anger indicating it was not his fault that he could not filter into the busy road without causing a serious accident. Luckily enough, the City of Windhoek has since erected traffic lights at this busy junction, which has witnessed a number of fatal accidents.

Though the driver’s behavior was not exemplary especially to the children and his actions not justifiable, his frustration is understandable - driving in Windhoek can be a nightmare. All Windhoek residents whether they commute by private car or taxis and other forms of public transport have a story or two to tell about the traffic situation in the city. Authorities have acknowledged that the transport system needs a major makeover.



20-year makeover



Just over a year ago, the Ministry of Works and Transport, City of Windhoek, Ministry of Local Government and Housing and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), started working on the Transport Master plan for Windhoek.

GIZ Technical Advisor, Frederik Strompen says the 20-year plan will be unveiled next month.

Strompen says the partners took their time to have a realistic but also visionary planning document at hand.

“At the same time the project team involved students from the Polytechnic in the process as much as possible to ensure knowledge transfer and sustainability of the project. This might have prolonged the process of drafting the plan, but will ensure a sustainable implementation of the plan,” he says.

“We are going to publish the draft sustainable urban transport master plan in August to give stakeholders and the public a chance to comment on the planning document. Implementation will start thereafter, says Strompen. He says the project will develop a prioritised plan for short, medium and long transport improvements.



Growing population



Statistics compiled as part of the project show that the current population of Windhoek is 333 100 and is expected to reach 737 000 by 2032. Traffic between Rehoboth in the south and Okahandja to the north is growing with many people commuting from the two towns daily to work in Windhoek.



Good surface condition



Statistics show that the road network of Windhoek is quite extensive with 812 km of surfaced roads in mostly very good surface condition.

“Road widths are between eight and 13 metres delivering comfortable conditions for motorised road users and allowing fast speeds. There are no shared or exclusive right of way for bus operations and hardly any non-motorised transport infrastructure,” he says.

Statistics show that the transport system of Windhoek is characterised by very low density which makes transportation expensive. 40% of all trips are made by taxis. Four percent make use of the municipal bus services, 26% use private vehicles, 29% walk and one percent use bicycles.

“Despite these facts only two percent of the budget for road repair and maintenance accounts for non-motorised transport facilities,” says Strompen.

He says it is important for the capital to have a good road infrastructure for its citizens and visitors.

“Taking the right decisions now will avoid the huge social and environmental problems other capitals face. At the same time we have to improve the integration of the taxi and the bus industry. The taxi industry is an important stakeholder that we would like to get on board for the planning processes. Only jointly will we be able to improve the system. If more people have access to public transport, everybody will benefit. At the same time the taxi industry will also have to improve its service quality to ensure safer transport for Windhoek’s residents,” says Strompen.



Municipal transport has problems



The City of Windhoek operates the public passenger bus service but it has been established that it faces a number of challenges that are addressed in the Master Plan. Chief among them is that services are only available from Monday to Friday in early mornings and in the afternoons.

“They are not readily accessible to the commuting public throughout the day,” he adds.

The Master Plan will try to address the transport problem in the capital through what is called Polycentric development. This means moderate densification of the city, mixed land use, transit corridor towards Okahandja where most of the population growth will occur and linking land use and transport planning.

Strompen says public transport network will consists of a mix of high-volume traffic systems with a feeder system and interchanges between and in-between modes. The non motorised network will include an extension of the pedestrian zone.



No commuter train



The commuter rail is not yet economically and financially feasible. This option could be relevant from 2032.

“The plan will enable the City of Windhoek to grow with less congestion, better air quality, sustainable energy, and minimal road crashes. It will also serve as a model for efficient and sustainable regional and local public transport systems for the rest of Namibia. The core of the planning is the improved bus operations with bus lanes that will be able to move many more people much faster and cheaper,” he says.

The taxi industry will be integrated to ensure that the entire trip with public transportation can be done fast and effectively.

“Windhoek is in the lucky position to have wide roads. That allows us to integrate dedicated bus lanes into the network that will provide fast transport. At the same time the plan envisages to improve the non-motorised transport network for cyclist and pedestrians. One idea is to convert parts of Independence Avenue into a pedestrian zone,” says Strompen.

According to the findings, if Windhoek does not change its transport system, there will be increased income inequality due to reduced disposable income for poor residents. The city will also have a high accident rate. If the transport system stays the same, average time for a car trip will increase from 10 minutes to 50 minutes due to congestion. If the Master Plan is implemented the trip duration will only increase to 23 minutes.

From an environmental point of view, carbon dioxide emissions will be 470 000 tonnes per year instead of 320 000 tonnes if the plan is implemented. “We can save up to 122 lives if we improve the safety of our road network,” says Strompen.

“We are in the final stage of calculating the unit costs for each possible mode of transport. This includes an entire bus network and its operations as well as an extensive non-motorised transport network. We already know that the expenditure will be more than compensated by annual benefits generated through reduced vehicle operation costs, decreased congestion, lower environmental costs and road accidents.

Poor households will be able to save almost N$2 000 per year and travel at much faster speed. Of course different scenarios were calculated so that the actual budget can be spent on priority projects,” he says.