RIPOA SBT
2.2 THE INTEGRATION ZONE (IZ)
2.2.1 THE PRIME INVESTMENT CORRIDOR INTEGRATION ZONE
2.2.1.1 COMPOSITION
The Prime Investment Corridor (PIC) requires a narrow spatial target in order to:
• support the IPTN through increasing usage by commuters (as a result of greater numbers of people and activity due to residential densification and economic intensification of the corridor) and thereby reducing the operating subsidy;
• create conditions most conducive to economic growth through allowing greater depth of investment in infrastructure
& quick access of employees to work; and
• enhance infrastructure efficiencies; create vibrant high density mixed-used environments that can accommodate a large proportion of the city’s residents.
The PIC aims at more intensive uses, and greater density of jobs, trips, residents, and investment than anywhere else in the metro.
The PIC includes:
• The South Durban Basin / Back of Port;
• The Port, Durban CBD and Inner-City Neighbourhoods;
• The Pinetown CBD;
• Cornubia and DTP;
• C3, C1 & 2; C9 and
• The other public transport corridors connecting these areas- that will be in future phases of the IPTN roll-out.
The PIC also includes some standalone pockets that are connected to the core of the PIC by limited access routes. The pockets include:
• Mpumalanga, Cato Ridge, and Shongweni, all in the West; and
• Lovu in the South.
The PIC includes already developed (brownfields) areas where maintenance, infill, intensification and redevelopment will be promoted, as well as green fields opportunities for intensive new investment.
• Expands to include all significant existing economic uses;
• Expands to include an 800 m radius at rail stations;
• Expands to include Informal Settlements; and
• Expands to include POS.
The PIC is 28,672 Ha in extent, approximately 12% of the metropole’s extent. The PIC has Arms to the north, south and west.
The Durban CBD/Umlazi/Isipingo Arm extends south from Durban CBD through Isipingo Node and onwards to Umlazi station incorporating the C2 rail corridor and also includes an island further south near Illovo.
The Pinetown/Cornubia/Umhlanga Arm comprises the industrial areas of Pinetown & New Germany and surrounding suburbs including Clermont/KwaDabeka along the C3 public transport corridor and traverses
Cornubia terminating at Umhlanga, also thereby incorporating the C9 public transport route.
The Durban CBD/Bridge City, C2 Arm runs north from the Durban CBD to Bridge City including the Aerotroplis.
The PIC in the west comprises a number of ‘beads on a string’ including Shongweni, Keystone/Mpumalanga,
Hammarsdale/Cato Ridge/Harrison Flats. There are substantial greenfields opportunities for development in response to the N3 freight corridor from the Port. However, given the long distance between Mpumalanga and the Port it makes sense in the short to medium term to focus development at nodes along the N3 rather than to disperse development along the entire length of the N3 with concomitant infrastructure inefficiencies.
2.2.1.2 PRASA ROLE IN THE IPTN
PRASA and the City have an ongoing relationship with regards to the planning and implementation of the public transport services and infrastructure in the Municipality. The IPTN planning, which PRASA was an active stakeholder in its development, identifies the strategic public transport corridors within the Municipality. Although IPTN was strategically identified as the chosen mode for some corridors at the time of development of the high-level IPTN, it was agreed by PRASA and the ETA that the mode to be implemented will be confirmed with each phase / corridor implemented.
Key Issues
The following key issues were identified by PRASA and identified stakeholders during National and Provincial workshops (Stage 3 Report: National Strategic Plan, PRASA):
• Most of the growth and spatial development will continue to be focused on Durban CBD;
• The current timetable structure is mainly focused on operating train services for tidal work trips;
• Although rail provides a very important function for journey to work trips, the limited offpeak
timetable means it plays a negligible role supporting travel for other journey purposes thereby constraining its role as the backbone of public transport provision;
• Rail journey times are very slow and uncompetitive compared to car and minibus taxi, especially to central Durban;
• Rolling stock efficiency and utilisation is poor due to rolling stock failure;
• The comfort and quality of the interiors of existing trains are poor;
• Some of the existing services are already operating close to capacity with growth forecast on many corridors;
• Rail faces strong competition from other modes of public transport, particularly minibus taxis;
• Although the rail network serves several corridors, there is scope to expand this catchment through more effective modal integration throughout the day; and
• Several stations in KZN discourage new passengers from using rail due to presentational issues.
The Development objectives of PRASA align with that ITPN and the development strategy in the city. The agreed objects are as follows:
• Improve access to major employment areas in the City;
• Enhance connectivity between secondary nodes in KZN and Durban;
• Improve connectivity to major nodes, i.e., King Shaka Int. Airport, Port of Durban;
• Enhance strategic connections with other principal economic areas;
• Provide demand responsive services in rural areas to link to main centres;
• Support sustainable development patterns through more efficient land use/transport integration to reduce environmental impacts;
• Improve quality of life by providing affordable services;
• Promote safe, secure and reliable passenger transport; and
• Encourage land use densification on priority nodes and corridors.
The above objectives are congruent with the objectives of spatial transforming the city. The Rail Corridor prioritization within the city as per Fig 12 below, is as follows.
Fig 12 Rail Corridor Prioritization