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SA traffic
- The latest traffic congestion data shows that South African urban roads remain much quieter than last year.
- Johannesburg drivers currently spend 28% less time in traffic than a year ago.
- But in Durban, the traffic is much closer to normal levels.
- For more articles, go to www.businessinsider.co.za/.
Traffic levels in South Africa remain much quieter than before the closure, as the trend of working from home continues to keep drivers off the roads.
Last week’s traffic congestion data from TomTom, a maker of navigation devices, shows that Johannesburg drivers spend 28% less time stuck in traffic than in the same week last year.
A month ago, it was 37% below last year’s congestion levels, although somewhat recovered from the peak of the lockdown, when traffic congestion was 70% lower than the previous year.
Johannesburg congestion levels. Source: TomTom
Before the government instituted the nationwide lockdown in March, congestion in Johannesburg was worse than in 2019. And last year, the average Joburg driver lost 74 hours in congestion, according to the INRIX 2019 Global Traffic Scorecard.
However, this was much better than Cape Town, where drivers lost 124 hours in stopped traffic.
This year, the picture will be completely different for drivers in Cape Town, where hours spent in traffic congestion last week were still 24% lower than a year ago. Recently, in October, congestion was 35% less.
Cape Town congestion levels. Source: TomTom
Pretoria is also experiencing congestion at levels 27% lower than a year ago.
Pretoria congestion levels. Source: TomTom
In Bloemfontein, traffic congestion is 20% less.
Bloemfontein congestion levels. Source: TomTom
But in Durban, traffic is much closer to “normal levels,” and last week it was just 15% lower than a year ago.
Durban traffic levels. Source: TomTom
It is an open question whether traffic will ever recover to pre-pandemic congestion levels.
Many companies gave up their office space during the lockdown after being able to maintain productivity levels with employees working from home. Almost 13% of South African offices are now empty, the highest rate in 16 years.
Santam, for example, believes that driving habits can change. Therefore, it has introduced a distance-based rating for its customers, which was driven by the reduction in driving during the pandemic, but will be maintained afterward.
“With this feature, customers who work from home or travel less than they normally would, can benefit from a discount on their engine premium. This will be achieved by offering distance-based classification categories for vehicles, which will be based on the expected kilometers per renewal period, ”a spokesperson told Business Insider South Africa.
Layton Beard of the Automobile Association believes that driving patterns can change permanently, but this can mean more congestion in the suburbs.
“If people don’t go back to the office, there will still be people living locally. Yes, there may not be as much traffic on the main routes like the N1 or N2, but there may be more backlog in local areas, ”he says.
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