Transport Authorities eThekwini Transport Authority Making a difference for sustainability Notes

Vital Question Can eTA make a real difference? Transport Authorities (TAs) are internationally considered to be one of the most effective institutional arrangements to deal with the complex transport issues in urban areas.

Four Strategic Transport thrusts for eThekwini 1.Prioritising PT over private transport 2.Promoting PT – attractive and efficient 3.Spatial restructuring 4.Safety

ST1. Prioritising PT over private transport Key Issue: low occupancy private car usage is the single greatest threat to sustainability of the transport system, having a great impact on the environment.

The challenge in eThekwini Car ownership levels per 1000 population

The challenge cont. YearPvt car Person Trips (trend) PT Person Trips (trend) Use of PT

Strategy: restrain pvt car usage YearPrivate Cars (with intervention) Private Cars (trend) Car restraint measures - Limited road development (focus mainly on bottlenecks and access)

Institutional response Head of eTA Roads Design PT ops Strategic planning Full Capital roads budget & joint agreement on maintenance priorities Public Transport Authorities at a disadvantage Transport planning

ST2. Make PT more efficient and attractive

Transport trajectory Current Goal OPPORTUNITIES  Policy & Leg.  Technology  System Efficiencies  Spatial Restructuring  TA THREATS TO SYSTEM Escalating subsidies Declining service levels Dilapidated infrastructure (fixed and rolling stock) Rapid motorisation Violence Entrenched apartheid land-use structure – urban sprawl Poor Accident Record Marginalised Special Users Some of the Causes: Wasteful duplication Sub-optimal mode deployment Destructive competition Apartheid legacy System failure Sustainable PT The efficiency challenge

The challenge cont. Utilisation: Rail – 20% Bus – 30% Taxi – 83% Subsidy savings: Current subsidySavings from restructuring R450 mill paR180 mill pa Vehicle ages: Rail closure in less than 15 years time Taxi and bus serious lack of investment

Strategy: Rationalise and Restructure Rail – currently with National Subsidised bus contracts – currently with Province eTA Optimal mode deployment Remove duplicated services (especially subsidised) Intermodalism and integration Investigate low volume rail lines Devolution

Institutional response Head of eTA RoadsPT ops Strategic planning Administer Bus contracts Better than co-ordinating committees PT system planning Future Municipal OLB Rail function

Strategy: Make PT more convenient Rail – currently with National Subsidised bus contracts – currently with Provincial eTA Integration and intermodalism Info systems Through ticketing etc Devolution

Institutional response Head of eTA RoadsPT ops Strategic planning Administer Bus contracts Better than co-ordinating committees PT system planning Future Municipal OLB Rail function

ST3: Spatial restructuring The challenge… Sprawl reduces PT efficiency and poorly located low income housing projects impose a high, perpetual subsidy burden on transport.

Result: By moving low income housing closer to work, the higher land costs are recovered in 2 to 7 years by the savings in subsidy. The challenge cont.

Strategy: densification of nodes and corridors Key concern: Influence the location of low income housing by subsidising increased land costs

Institutional response Governing Body (3 Exco members) Metro Exco Housing Dept (budget) Rail & bus devolution with subsidy Subsidy savings

ST4: Safety Road safety a key issue: SA has one of the poorest accidents records in the world.

Institutional response Head of eTA RoadsPT ops Strategic planning Responsible to co-ordinate 4 E’s and implement Road Safety Plan Road safety unit

Conclusion The eTA has positioned itself to meet the key transport challenges in SA Cities. The hard work is still ahead…