How sustainable is road transport in Gauteng, South Africa? An analysis of the R59 from the perspective of traffic volumes and vehicle loading

Abstract: The transport of freight or goods by truck (heavy vehicles) is a worldwide phenomenon. In South Africa an increase in the number of heavy vehicles, the number of axles the trucks have, as well as, an increase in the mass of goods carried by trucks has taken place. During the 1930’s until the 1980’s, the transport of freight by government owned railways was favoured over road freight transport, until transport deregulation started in the 1980’s. Deregulation focussed only on the technical and safety aspects of trucking, ignoring critical issues such the impact of trucking on freight costs; road infrastructure and negative environmental impacts. Excessive growth of road transport begs the question: how sustainable is road transport in South Africa? This study sought to determine this by undertaking an in-depth study of one important road in Gauteng, namely the R59, which links Vanderbijlpark/Vereeniging, Meyersdal, Alberton and Johannesburg. The study documents the current traffic characteristics and road usage for the R59 for the years 2004 - 2013, creating, for the first time, a traffic baseline data against which future increases or impacts can be measured. The study made use of data supplied by Gautrans and was collected by seven traffic counting stations along the Gauteng stretch of road. Six of these are secondary stations (which are operational for one week only during a year), and one is a permanent station (operated all year). The study posits that the pavement of this road is an asphalt mix, with an original design life of 20 years. The road was partly rehabilitated and resurfaced in 1996 – 1997 and in 2005 – 2006. The study shows a steady increase in traffic volumes overtime with some vehicles consistently speeding. There is a surprisingly large urban commute of people travelling from Vanderbijlpark/Vereeniging north to work and back each day. The proposed future tolling of the route will have a serious negative impact on these commuters. The R59 is also a key trucking route, carrying a significant number of long heavy trucks, and overloading is a chronic problem. This overloading is leading to visible pavement damage, in the form of cracking, formation of potholes and bleeding. The study demonstrates that the road was under-designed for the current traffic type; it is under-maintained and under-managed. The study calls for better and more consistent rehabilitation, alongside active traffic management - controlling overloading by having a manned weighbridge and imposing hefty fines on those breaking the law - if the road is to be sustainably managed into the future.M.Sc. (Environmental Management