Monorail plan for Cape Town
2005-04-01 07:47
An artist's impression of the new monorail.Copyright Mono-rail Inc.
Author: John Oxley
The monorail is planned to be built along the infamous Otto du Plessis Road between Table View and Cape Town to ease traffic congestion that sometimes reaches crisis proportions.
This is the news from Cape Town City planners who revealed to Wheels24 that the proposal is at an advanced exploratory stage.
Engineers have examined a feasibility study prepared by Japanese consultants Mono-rail Inc., based on a successful system installed in Tokyo.
It is planned that the monorail will be built on the central division of the current dual carriageway system between Table View and the city, and that it will run on two levels. The top level will be for out-bound passengers, and the bottom level for in-bound.
The current traffic density on Otto du Plessis reaches crisis levels during rush hour, with the 20 km section taking as long as two hours at times.
However, with new houses being built in the Parklands suburb at the rate of approximately 1 000 a month, and the council aiming for a total density of 250 000 homes by 2010, total gridlock will occur soon unless drastic measures are taken.
Hovercraft
A proposal to start a hovercraft service between Blouberg Strand and Cape Town is not likely to provide any relief as winter storms would prevent it from being operative much of the year.
And at the cost of R60 a trip, it would be out of the reach of daily commuters.
However, city engineers' department spokesman Sakkie Larney revealed that monorail fares would be kept at acceptable levels.
"We propose that, if necessary, fares will be subsidised to allow commuters to travel between Table View and Cape Town at considerably less cost than it currently costs them to use their own cars.
"Once in town a shuttle system would enable them to get to their offices.
"At the same time we would introduce a car tax, in much the same way as that in London, where motorists would pay considerably extra to use their cars on this route, or would be forced to share a car with friends or neighbours.
"There will be an initial traffic disturbance while the new system is being built, but, again, we would encourage people to share cars to cut down on the number of cars using the road".
The monorail is expected to be in operation within five years. However, Larney refused to reveal the cost.
"This has not yet been finalised, and it would be unfair to tell you that at this stage," he said.
Larney added that the system could possibly be applied to other areas of the city, and that interest had been shown by town planners in Johannesburg and Durban.