UMasipala waseThekwini ukwamukele ngentokozo ukuphumelela kwe-Transport Indaba ebibanjelwe e-Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) ngoLwesihlanu, mhla zi-2 kuMfumfu 2026.
SHEILA MHLONGO
Le- Indaba ihlanganise abaholi bakahulumeni, ongoti bezokuthutha, ababambiqhaza bezimboni kanye nabakhi bezinqubomgomo ukuze baxoxe ngezixazululo ezizobumba ikusasa lezokuthutha kanye nokuthuthwa kwezimpahla KwaZulu-Natal.
Ethula inkulumo yokuvula, uNgqongqoshe wezokuThutha uBarbara Creecy ugcizelele ukubaluleka kweKwaZulu-Natal njengesango elikhulu laseNingizimu Afrika elixhumanisa izwe namazwe ase-Afrika aseningizimu yeSahara.
“Amachweba aseThekwini naseRichards Bay athutha izigidi zamathani ezimpahla minyaka yonke, exhumanisa abakhiqizi bakuleli nezimakethe zomhlaba futhi eseka imikhakha ebalulekile yomnotho okubalwa kuyo ezokukhiqiza, ukuthunyelwa nokungeniswa kwezimoto, ezezimayini kanye nezolimo,” kusho uCreecy.
Uhlelo lwezokuthutha olubanzi lwesifundazwe, oluhlanganisa imigwaqo emikhulu i-N2 ne-N3, ujantshi, iKing Shaka International Airport kanye neDube TradePort, luqhubeka nokubeka iKwaZulu-Natal phambili njengesizinda esibalulekile sokuthuthwa kwezimpahla nokuhwebelana.
UMEC wezokuThutha nokuHlaliswa kwaBantu KwaZulu-Natal, uSiboniso Duma, uthe i-Transport Indaba iyingqophamlando ebalulekile ekwakheni ikusasa lezokuthutha nokuhanjiswa kwezimpahla esifundazweni.
“Ezingxoxweni ezimayelana nokuthuthwa kwezimpahla, ezokundiza kanye nokuxhumaniswa kwezindlela ezahlukene zokuthutha, ababambe iqhaza bahlola izindlela zokwakha uhlelo lwezokuthutha oluqinile kanye nemizila ebalulekile ezothuthukisa umnotho waseKwaZulu-Natal nokuxhumana kwesifundazwe,” kusho uDuma.
KUGXILWE KOJANTSHI, IMIGWAQO NEZINDIZA
Izingxoxo zale Indaba zigxile ekuqiniseni ujantshi, ezokundiza, ezokuthutha olwandle, ingqalasizinda yemigwaqo kanye nezindlela ezintsha zokuthola uxhaso oludingekayo ukuze kwakhiwe futhi kugcinwe ingqalasizinda yezokuthutha esifundazweni.
Olunye lwezindaba ezibalulekile okuxoxwe ngazo wukususa ingxenye enkulu yokuthuthwa kwezimpahla emigwaqweni iyiswe kojantshi.
Ababambiqhaza bathole ulwazi oluvela kwaTransnet Rail Infrastructure kanye noMnyango wezokuThutha kuzwelonke mayelana nezinhlelo zokuguqula ujantshi, okubalwa kuzo uhlelo oluhlongozwayo lwenkampani yokuqashisa ngezitimela, i-Rolling Stock Leasing Company (LeaseCo).
Lolu hlelo luhlose ukwenza ezokuthuthwa kwezimpahla ngojantshi zibe zesimanje, ukuheha abatshalizimali abazimele kanye nokwandisa ukubamba iqhaza emisebenzini yezitimela.
Ukususa ukuthuthwa kwezimpahla emigwaqweni kuyiswe kojantshi kulindeleke ukuthi kunciphise kakhulu isiminyaminya futhi kuthuthukise ukuphepha emizileni emikhulu esetshenziswa amaloli, njenge-N3 ne-N2.
Isitimela esisodwa esikhulu esithwala amalahle singathwala phakathi kwamathani angu-13 000 kuya ku-17 000 ezimpahla. Lokhu kulingana nokususa cishe amaloli angu-300 kuya kwangu-425 emigwaqweni yesifundazwe.
“KUFANELE SISUKE EZINKULUMWENI SIYE EKWENZENI” – XABA
Ekhuluma kulo mcimbi, iMeya yaseThekwini, uKhansela Cyril Xaba, ithe le Indaba inikeza ithuba lokwakha izixazululo ezingasetshenziswa ukubhekana nezinselelo zezokuthutha nokuthuthwa kwezimpahla.
“Ngaphansi kwesiqubulo esithi ‘The Gateway for Smart Mobility’, sihlangene lapha ukuze siqinisekise ukuzibophezela kwethu ekwakheni uhlelo lwezokuthutha oluxhumene, oluthembekile noluhlonipha isithunzi sabantu.
“Ayikho indlela engcono yokubhekana nezinselelo zezokuthutha nokuhanjiswa kwezimpahla ngaphandle kokuhlanganisa ongoti nabanolwazi abavela emikhakheni eyahlukene. Le Indaba kufanele isisuse ezingxoxweni isiyise ekwenzeni,” kusho uXaba.
IMeya iphinde yagqamisa uhlelo lwakamuva olwethulwe nguMasipala lwe-GO!Durban, okuhloswe ngalo ukuguqula ezokuthutha zomphakathi nokwakha idolobha elixhumene kangcono, elibandakanya wonke umuntu futhi elikwazi ukuncintisana kwezomnotho.
UMasipala waseThekwini uthi uzoqhubeka nokusebenzisana nabo bonke ababambiqhaza emkhakheni wezokuthutha ukuze kugqugquzelwe ukusungulwa kwezindlela ezintsha, kuthuthukiswe ukuhamba kwabantu nezimpahla, kuphinde kuqiniswe isikhundla seKwaZulu-Natal njengesango elisezingeni lomhlaba kwezokuthutha nokuhwebelana.
UMTHOBO-eThekwini Municipality Marketing and Communications Directorate.
