Hot off the heels of a recent webinar on managing traffic congestion in the City, the Transport Department and Joburg Development Agency has hosted several public participation webinars particularly for people that live, work, do business or study in the Inner City. A successful webinar was held on 8 October 2020.
The purpose was to give them opportunity to make input in the development of the draft Johannesburg Inner City Transport Master Plan (JICTMP) so that the final approved document is a true reflection of how they see the future development of the Inner City.
Three stages of engagement that have been established for the development of the Inner City Transport Master Plan.
Stage 1 which has been completed was a presentation on the baseline assessment and key findings on the Inner City's Transport System to relevant stakeholders for comments on the findings. The baseline assessment report has since been finalised.
Stage 2 is nearing completion with focus groups that amongst others include ward councillors and committee members, retailers, property owners, informal traders, bus operators, cyclists, trolley pushers, churches, NGOs, academics, learning institutions and City departments aims to get as many inputs and ideas development of the Draft Transport Master Plan. This stage provides a platform for stakeholders to imagine and share the type of Inner City they would like to see in terms of transport.
Stage 3 will be the final stage of consultation on the draft Transport Master Plan expected in March 2021.
The engagements have been conducted with the sole purpose of getting ideas in relation to improvements in public transport, non-motorised transport and mobility and freight.
Engagements with the minibus taxi industry, metered taxis, Gautrain and Metrobus will take place in the forthcoming weeks.
The City's vision for transport is as follows: "The Inner City will be well connected with safe, reliable public transport, rationalised vehicular routes and walkable pedestrian pathways"
Meeting participants were urged to provide input as follows:
1. Public Transport - Q1 - Where should the City focus its efforts to achieve a reliable and affordable public transport system?
Q2 - What area of maintenance to public transport infrastructure should be top priority?
Q3 - What could be done to improve safety and security at the public transport facilities?
2. Non-motorised Transport - Q1 - What is the most important change needed to make the Inner City more walkable?
Q2 - How can we better manage shared spaces leading to the main public transport facilities, where there is a lot of conflict between vehicles, pedestrians and
traders with high accident numbers?
Q3 - Are there any missing links for pedestrians which cause long walk detours?
3. Mobility and Freight - Q1 - What is the one thing that needs to be in place in the Inner City for commuters to be less reliant on private cars?
Q2 - What Travel Demand Management (TDM) Measures (eg paid parking, large employer trip reduction programmes, car-ride sharing, etc) will have the greatest impact to reduce single occupant car trips or reduce the need to travel during the peak period?
Q3 - Where should interventions in freight and loading infrastructure or parking management be focused, to make the Inner City economically more competitive?
The above questions served only to provide structure to the engagements and not confine stakeholders who were free to add their input even if not necessarily captured in the above questions.
The deadline for further inputs and ideas is 30 October 2020. Queries can be directed to Wendy Mashitiso at WendyMa@joburg.org.za or Nobuntu Ciko Duze at nobuntuc@joburg.org.za or 071 413 9817.
