Go!Durban
Making Durban’s new integrated rapid public transport network intelligent
The eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality’s goal is to provide safe, affordable, and efficient transport, with Zutari focusing on making transport smart, intuitive, human-centric and intelligent. Upon completion the R22-billion integrated transport system, known as Go! Durban, will serve more than 700 000 commuters each day. The first phase of the project was completed in March 2020.
“Zutari is honoured to be able to help eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality become Africa’s most livable city by implementing a world-class network of rail, road and non-motorised transport (NMT) systems that also incorporates existing informal operators into the formal public transport system by 2030,” says Mike van Tonder, Zutari Technical Director – Intelligent Transport Systems.
Intelligent transport systems (ITSs) are automated electronic systems that improve the overall transport experience and can be applied to land-, air- or water-based transport. ITS includes the integration of these systems for seamless travel. Zutari was appointed by the eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA) in 2012 for the entire ITS, from designing and overseeing the installation of fibre communications and security cameras along the route, to specifying and overseeing the implementation of an integrated fare management (IFM) system similar to the Gautrain’s smart card ticketing system for passengers, as well as a system to track buses within the network to make sure contracting companies adhere to their schedules.
Zutari is honoured to be able to help eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality become Africa’s most livable city by implementing a world-class network of rail, road and non-motorised transport (NMT) systems
Intelligent transport systems (ITSs) are automated electronic systems that improve the overall transport experience
The brief from the client was to plan, design, specify and oversee the implementation of all ITS for Go!Durban which is on a par with similar systems around the world including China, Australia and Brazil. Upon completion, the ETA wants an intelligent integrated rapid public transport network that runs 16 hours a day and is so efficient that passengers will wait only between 5 and 10 minutes for a bus during peak hours, and between 10 and 30 minutes during off-peak hours. The first corridor, which is the 23 km road between Pinetown and KwaMashu, is due to be operational in April 2021.
“Our team is proud to say that we are contributing to a safe, reliable and integrated public transport system in one of South Africa’s three major cities,” concludes van Tonder.
*The Aurecon Africa business has been officially renamed Zutari as at 21 July 2020. Zutari acquired Aurecon Middle East on 20 November 2020.
