Cape Town N1 rush hour - how is it possible ?

[LancelotSA]

But not everyone will be able to ride share/lift club. We tried it once at varsity in support of the environment and what not. It did not work.

Why? Probably because it was an inconvenience. Again it is a cost versus convenience trade off. Charge someone a thousand rand (yes, I am being extreme to make the point) to use their car alone and all of a sudden the inconvenience of picking up three mates will look appealing.

Hey, I am totally in agreement that it is so convenient to have your own wheels but I also see how this causes congestion problems.

 

[hj2k_x]

Why? Probably because it was an inconvenience. Again it is a cost versus convenience trade off. Charge someone a thousand rand (yes, I am being extreme to make the point) to use their car alone and all of a sudden the inconvenience of picking up three mates will look appealing.

Hey, I am totally in agreement that it is so convenient to have your own wheels but I also see how this causes congestion problems.

No one had the same timetable - people needed to go different places after class. It was not just inconvenient, it was not feasible.

 

[feo]

Of course they will. 1 person per vehicle vs 4 people per vehicle. Simple maths. That means a 1/4 of the current number of cars on the road.

And as regards public transport, we often get the same people arguing for better public transport moaning about the cost of the Gautrain (and I am in no way directly referring to you here as I have no idea of your views on these current projects). It seems to be a no win situation really!

LOL, you okes trying to compare Cape Town traffic to Gauteng traffic! Pffffft...

You don't know what real traffic is until you've sat in the parking lot better known as the N1.

Apparently we're also gonna get tolled electronically at 50c/km or something along those lines and if you think about it, it's not THAT bad an idea. Yup I'm gonna have to fork out quite a it in toll fees but if that fee detracts other people from using their cars or switching to the Gautrain or alternate means of transport then I'm all for it. Especially if the tolls collected get pumped back into maintenance of our roads.

 

[xrapidx]

What is the logic behind that comment? A taxi would still need to pay tolls. The point is a taxi has 10 (and sometimes up to 50) passengers so the cost of the toll can be spread amongst them. Hence he stating lift clubs would become an alternative..

The logic is quite simple - do you honestly believe a taxi would pay R1000 a month to be able to get into town - do you honestly think the people taking the taxi's would allow that to be passed on to them. Unsafe public transport will be allowed to enter for free - the money will come from the very same people who actually pay tax - and subside the other 80% of the country.

EDIT: All taxi's will do is strike, and destroy what already exists so they can get a free ride... and guess who will pay for the repairs to this damage?

 

[LancelotSA]

Apparently we're also gonna get tolled electronically at 50c/km or something along those lines and if you think about it, it's not THAT bad an idea. Yup I'm gonna have to fork out quite a it in toll fees but if that fee detracts other people from using their cars or switching to the Gautrain or alternate means of transport then I'm all for it. Especially if the tolls collected get pumped back into maintenance of our roads.

Exactly.

Oh, and I am a Durbs boy so a traffic jam for me is having to slow to 80km/h during peak traffic.... but I do travel so I experience it elsewhere!

 

[LancelotSA]

The logic is quite simple - do you honestly believe a taxi would pay R1000 a month to be able to get into town - do you honestly think the people taking the taxi's would allow that to be passed on to them. Unsafe public transport will be allowed to enter for free - the money will come from the very same people who actually pay tax - and subside the other 80% of the country.

...and if you were to sit and think about it, and if the main reason of the charge was to avoid congestion, then the taxis and buses should in fact get a discounted rate, or in fact get let through for free, as they are already doing their bit.

Imagine if each one of those taxi passengers had their own vehicle?Then we'd see what traffic congestion was!

 

[xrapidx]

...and if you were to sit and think about it, and if the main reason of the charge was to avoid congestion, then the taxis and buses should in fact get a discounted rate, or in fact get let through for free, as they are already doing their bit.

Imagine if each one of those taxi passengers had their own vehicle?Then we'd see what traffic congestion was!

So back to square one - the people who are actually doing anything for this country by paying taxes are ones hardest hit.

I'm all for a congestion charge, if we have a public transport system to support it - I loved not having a car in Australia - why, because I could get just about anywhere by public transport that was safe and reliable - something that doesn't exist in SA.

As always, the supposedly rich will have to be bear the burden - same as the 500% electricity increase over the next 3 years, or the new proposed CO2 tax on vehicles, etc, etc.

Imagine if each one of those taxi passengers paid their fair share of tax - we'd be one of the worlds richest countries - we'd probably also have a decent public transport system.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Well even in Somerset West the traffic can get hectic - its crazy. From my house to the office is 6km through residential roads yet there is traffic jams.

I commute to work on my bicycle and it take me 30minutes (uphill all the way). With the car, it can take me up to 20 minutes and then I ride a slightly shorter route.

Its madness.

 

[feo]

Well even in Somerset West the traffic can get hectic - its crazy. From my house to the office is 6km through residential roads yet there is traffic jams.

I commute to work on my bicycle and it take me 30minutes (uphill all the way). With the car, it can take me up to 20 minutes and then I ride a slightly shorter route.

Its madness.

I get very agro when I read a post like this.

"Crazy" is not spending 20 minutes in traffic...crazy is when one stationary vehicle on a highway causes a backup 5km+ long and the poor sods that did nothing wrong have to sit for an extra 45 minutes to an hour in the baking afternoon heat.

 

[I am Penguin]

Can someone please enlighten me as to how it is possible to have bumper to bumper traffic on a national highway from Paarden Eiland to Paarl !

Essentially it's a straight road all the way to the tunnel, no right hand off ramps - yet you can sit doing zero kph waiting for the traffic to edge forward.

I can't make any sense of it.

Cape tunnel vision?

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

I get very agro when I read a post like this.

"Crazy" is not spending 20 minutes in traffic...crazy is when one stationary vehicle on a highway causes a backup 5km+ long and the poor sods that did nothing wrong have to sit for an extra 45 minutes to an hour in the baking afternoon heat.

Hey, my previous job was 2 minutes drive from my place (8 minutes walk and 2 minutes by bicycle).

Our offices use to be in Stellies and thank goodness for my motorbike and flexi hours. Sometimes the traffic would really stand still and it could take you an hour to travel 10km.