This Tuesday Special Assignment looks at the state of South
Africa’s roads. Experts say that many of our provincial and
municipal roads are in crisis. It’s estimated they’ve
deteriorated by 40% over the past few years and that
billions of rands are needed to stop the rot.
Vehicles
carrying heavy freight have severely damaged long sections
of road. Experts say it costs 18 times more to restore a
damaged road than to maintain it properly, putting a strain
on overstretched budgets. The situation is complicated by
the fact that our railway system has been in decline for
many years, and businesses are
often forced to move goods by road rather than by
rail.
In
the cities, road budgets are also being squeezed.
Historically roads in the townships were neglected and now
need to be upgraded. Many new townhouse and office park
developments have sprung up in areas that were once veld so
that roads that used to carry a trickle of traffic, now get
gridlocked during rush hour. The situation is made worse by
the high volume of single-passenger cars.
So what is the solution? Experts say that an integrated
public transport system is essential, as is the upgrading of
our rail system. The
Road Ahead is directed by Msizi Khuhlane
