SA traffic jam woes a World Cup headache

JOHANNESBURG – On Johannesburg’s designated ‘Car Free’ day, rush-hour motorists on Friday had a familiar excuse for getting behind the wheel: there was no handy alternative means to get around.

That’s true of many African cities – but with South Africa due to host the soccer World Cup in 2010, Johannesburg’s traffic woes are looming larger than most. “Public transit is too hectic,” said a smiling Thuso Nkosi (25), a graphic designer who admitted traffic jams are more tolerable from the comfort of his BMW.Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic hub, is often criticised for lacking a solid public transportation system and carless commuters must rely on rickety taxi vans, the erratic schedules of city buses and trains that can be hotbeds of crime.Sceptics question if South Africa has the organisational capacity to deliver on ambitious plans to upgrade transportation ahead of the World Cup to shuttle an influx of sports fans around the city and to stadiums.Massive infrastructure programmes centred on the World Cup are being designed on the expectation of hundreds of thousands of tourists and billions of dollars in investment.But many drivers still wonder whether Johannesburg is ready to cope given frequent power outages that cause gridlock as traffic lights fail and short-sighted urban planning that has not kept pace with a population boom in the city.High levels of crime are a major deterrent for cyclists and pedestrians.”You can’t even walk because as soon as you get to Jeppe Street (downtown) there is someone’s hand in your pocket.There are no sidewalks in some places,” said Mirriam Lithebe (62).Government officials admit it is hard to convince citizens to abandon their cars but hope pilot projects like a carpool lane on a major highway could eventually cut road congestion.In fact, new vehicle sales were up 5,6 per cent in September compared with the same month in 2005.”We don’t expect everyone to just drop their cars.But we are trying to make people conscious that the petrol prices are high and there is global warming,” said Phumeza Qaqa, of the Gauteng Department of Public Transport, Roads and Works.That consciousness appeared to be lagging on Friday as roads remained jammed with private vehicles despite the “no car” call.Construction is under way on the R20 billion Gautrain, a rail link between Johannesburg and Pretoria, but some say it may not be complete in four years time for the sporting tournament and will not serve most area residents.Meanwhile, road warriors in Johannesburg continue to say cars are the most convenient way to travel.Gideon Sithole takes up to two hours each morning to trek – first by taxi and then foot – the 25 km route from his house to the hardware store in town where he works.If he had the money for a car he said it would take just 15 minutes.”I wait up to an hour at the taxi rank because there are more people than taxis.If I had the budget I’d buy a car for sure,” he said.Nampa-Reuters”Public transit is too hectic,” said a smiling Thuso Nkosi (25), a graphic designer who admitted traffic jams are more tolerable from the comfort of his BMW.Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic hub, is often criticised for lacking a solid public transportation system and carless commuters must rely on rickety taxi vans, the erratic schedules of city buses and trains that can be hotbeds of crime.Sceptics question if South Africa has the organisational capacity to deliver on ambitious plans to upgrade transportation ahead of the World Cup to shuttle an influx of sports fans around the city and to stadiums.Massive infrastructure programmes centred on the World Cup are being designed on the expectation of hundreds of thousands of tourists and billions of dollars in investment.But many drivers still wonder whether Johannesburg is ready to cope given frequent power outages that cause gridlock as traffic lights fail and short-sighted urban planning that has not kept pace with a population boom in the city.High levels of crime are a major deterrent for cyclists and pedestrians.”You can’t even walk because as soon as you get to Jeppe Street (downtown) there is someone’s hand in your pocket.There are no sidewalks in some places,” said Mirriam Lithebe (62).Government officials admit it is hard to convince citizens to abandon their cars but hope pilot projects like a carpool lane on a major highway could eventually cut road congestion.In fact, new vehicle sales were up 5,6 per cent in September compared with the same month in 2005.”We don’t expect everyone to just drop their cars.But we are trying to make people conscious that the petrol prices are high and there is global warming,” said Phumeza Qaqa, of the Gauteng Department of Public Transport, Roads and Works.That consciousness appeared to be lagging on Friday as roads remained jammed with private vehicles despite the “no car” call.Construction is under way on the R20 billion Gautrain, a rail link between Johannesburg and Pretoria, but some say it may not be complete in four years time for the sporting tournament and will not serve most area residents.Meanwhile, road warriors in Johannesburg continue to say cars are the most convenient way to travel.Gideon Sithole takes up to two hours each morning to trek – first by taxi and then foot – the 25 km route from his house to the hardware store in town where he works.If he had the money for a car he said it would take just 15 minutes.”I wait up to an hour at the taxi rank because there are more people than taxis.If I had the budget I’d buy a car for sure,” he said.Nampa-Reuters