ESITHOMBENI: uNgqongqoshe wezokuThutha eNingizimu Afrika uMhlonishwa uBarbara Creesy, kube uNgqongqoshe wezokuThutha KwaZulu-Natali uMhlonishwa uSboniso Duma kanye nababambiqhaza abavela ezinhlakeni ezahlukene.
ANELE NDLOVU
Ikusasa lezokuthutha, ukutshalwa kwezimali kwingqalasizinda kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwezokuthutha ezihlakaniphile kube semqoka kwi-2026 KwaZulu-Natal Transport Indaba, ebibanjelwe eDurban International Convention Centre ngoLwesihlanu, mhla zi-2 kuMfumfu 2026.
Lo mcimbi obubanjwe ngesikhathi iNingizimu Afrika igubha inyanga yezokuthutha, ubunesihloko esithi “A Gateway for Smart Mobility”, wagxila ekutheni izinhlelo zezokuthutha zingathuthukiswa kanjani ukuze zibe sezingeni eliphezulu, ziphephe, zisimame futhi zikwazi ukubhekana nezidingo zomphakathi nezomnotho.
Enkulumweni yakhe okuvula ukhansela Cyril Xaba, iMeya yaseThekwini igcizelele ukubaluleka kokutshalwa kwezimali kwezokuthutha kanye nengqalasizinda yesitimela nemigwaqo.
I PRASA itshala imali engaphezu kuka-R11 billion ekuthuthukiseni izinhlelo zokulawula izitimela ezindaweni ezahlukene. Lokhu, ngokusho kwemeya, kungavumela izitimela ukuthi zihambe ngezikhawu eziphakathi kwemizuzu emithathu nemihlanu uma uhlelo selusebenza ngokugcwele.
Lolu hlelo lungakhuphula inani labagibeli bezitimela esifundazweni lisuke kubagibeli abayizigidi ezingu-1.8 ngonyaka liye ezigidini ezingu-10.
Ukuze kulungiselelwe lokhu kukhula, iPRASA isithenge izitimela ezintsha ezingu-101 ezizosebenzela KwaZulu-Natali.
Kuphinde kwagqanyiswa umsebenzi we-SANRAL wokuthuthukisa imigwaqo emikhulu, okubalwa kuwo umgwaqo uN3, okuyingxenye ebalulekile exhumanisa iTheku neGauteng.
I-SANRAL iveze ukuthi i-N3 Key Ridge Realignment Project ihlose ukuthuthukisa ingxenye ebalulekile yomzila wezimpahla omatasatasa kakhulu eNingizimu Afrika.
Lo msebenzi uhlanganisa ukwandiswa komgwaqo ngamakhilomitha angaphezu kwayisithupha, ukuthuthukiswa kokugeleza kwezimoto, ukuphepha kanye nokusebenza kahle komzila.
Le phrojekthi ihlelelwe ukwakhiwa ngezigaba ezintathu. I-SANRAL ithe ingxenye yomgwaqo endaweni yasePeacevale Interchange ibhekene nezinselelo zokuphepha ngenxa yamagquma amakhulu, amajika aqinile kanye nokugcwala kwezimoto ezithwala impahla.
Uhlelo luzoguqula le ndawo ibe umgwaqo onemizila emihlanu ohlukanisiwe, okuhloswe ngakho ukunciphisa ukuminyana kwezimoto nokwenza umgwaqo uphephe kubo bonke abasebenzisi.
Le phrojekthi iphinde ihlanganise nokwakhiwa kwamabhuloho amakhulu, okuhlanganisa amabhuloho azowela esigodini esingamakhilomitha angaba ngu-400 ubude. Amabhuloho kanye nokulungiswa kokuma komgwaqo kuhloswe ngakho ukwenza kube lula ukuthi izimoto eziningi, ikakhulukazi amaloli, zisebenzise lo mzila ngokuphepha nangempumelelo.
I-SANRAL ithe amagquma abekade enza kube nzima ukuthi izimoto ezisindayo zihambe azokwenziwa abe nemithambeka elula, kanti namajika ayingozi azolungiswa ukuze abe bushelelezi.
Umsebenzi kulindeleke ukuthi uqedwe ngo-2027, kanti uhlose ukwakha umzila wezokuthutha ophephile, osebenza kahle futhi ozokwazi ukweseka ukukhula komnotho waseNingizimu Afrika.
I-Transport Indaba iphinde yagcizelela ukubaluleka kokubhekana nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu, intuthuko esheshayo kwezobuchwepheshe kanye nesidingo semithombo emisha yoxhaso lwezokuthutha.
Abahlanganyeli bagcizelele ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe bedijithali kungasiza ekutholeni nasekuhlaziyeni idatha ngesikhathi sangempela, okungase kusekele ukuthathwa kwezinqumo ezisekelwe ebufakazini.
Kuphinde kwavezwa ukuthi uhulumeni awukwazi ukuthwala zonke izindleko zamaphrojekthi amakhulu ezokuthutha uwodwa, yingakho kubalulekile ukusebenzisana nezinkampani ezizimele kanye nokusebenzisa izinhlelo zokubambisana phakathi kukahulumeni nezinkampani ezizimele.
KwaZulu-Natali kuchazwe njengesango elibalulekile lezohwebo ngenxa yezindawo zayo zamachweba nengqalasizinda yezokuthutha. Ichweba laseThekwini kanye nelaseRichards Bay liphethe amathani amaningi ezimpahla minyaka yonke, lixhumanisa abakhiqizi bendawo nezimakethe zomhlaba.
Njengoba iNingizimu Afrika iqhubeka neTransport Month, i-Transport Indaba iveze ukuthi ukuthuthukiswa kwemigwaqo, izitimela, amachweba kanye nobuchwepheshe bezokuthutha kungaba yingxenye ebalulekile ekwakheni uhlelo lwezokuthutha olusimeme, oluphephile nolufinyeleleka kubantu bonke.
Umcimbi uphele ngokugcizelela isidingo sokubambisana phakathi kukahulumeni, izinhlangano zezokuthutha, amabhizinisi kanye nemiphakathi ukuze kwakhiwe ikusasa lezokuthutha elihlakaniphile KwaZulu-Natali.
