A high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane between Southgate Mall and the Crown Interchange will be piloted on the M1 North from October 15 to 19, the Gauteng department of public transport, roads and works said on Tuesday.
Spokesperson Alfred Nhlapo said the lane, which is the right-hand or fast lane of the highway, will only be used by public transport and private vehicles with three or more occupants between 6am and 9am on those days.
”This is part of the ‘Transport Month Campaign’ as launched by MEC [provincial minister] Ignatius Jacobs earlier this week,” Nhlapo said.
He said that high-occupancy vehicles intending to leave the highway at Xavier and Booysens are advised not to use the HOV lane since this might worsen the traffic congestion. ”Only high-occupancy vehicles intending to off-ramp at Selby or those taking the M2 East should use the HOV lane.”
According to studies done in major cites in the developed world, traffic congestion amounts to billions of dollars’ worth of losses in economic opportunities by slowing down economic activity, he said. People, goods and services are prevented from reaching their destinations on time.
”MEC Jacobs has encouraged people to participate in this campaign by using public transport or sharing the ride on private vehicles, so as to contribute towards finding a sustainable way of using our road space.
”He also cited access to major cities as a very important part of driving economic growth,” Nhlapo said.
The department will host a ”Car-Free Day” concert on Saturday October 20, and the artist line-up will be announced soon, he said. — Sapa