38th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 2019

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/74143

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The Jwaneng LTPP Experiment: Performance Over 14 Years and a Comparison Between Kalahari Sand- Asphalt and Calcrete Base Courses
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Netterberg, F.; Pinard, M.I.
The Jwaneng long-term pavement performance base course experiment on the Kanye-Jwaneng road in Botswana consisted of 12 test sections of wet-mix and foamed Kalahari sand-asphalt and 11 test sections of mostly substandard calcrete base course with two control sections of gravel base, all under a double surface treatment. The purpose of the experiment was to evaluate various alternative base material quality designs for roads in the Kalahari where good quality gravels are scarce. Although the performance of most of the sand-asphalts and some of the calcretes was marred by construction defects, monitoring for 13 years and 0,4 ME80 showed that both types of base course were viable options for at least 1,0 ME80 and that untreated calcretes previously regarded as too inferior could be used as base course. The performance of the cement, lime and mechanically stabilized calcretes was inferior to that of their untreated equivalents.
Towards Secure Maritime Transport in South Africa: An Investigation of Cybersecurity Readiness of Organisations
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Muronga, K.; Letebele, M.; Binda, P.; Smith, S.
Transport is an important sector for the economic development of South Africa. The maritime environment plays a very important role as it sustains other sectors in the economy. A sustainable transport system requires that all systems operate efficiently and continuously with minimum failure. Cyber-attacks are disruptive and may destruct the functions and operations of any sector including that of transport and more specifically maritime transport. This paper provides feedback regarding an investigation which was conducted with maritime transport organisations in South Africa to understand if any cybersecurity measures, policies, strategies etc. are in place and are successfully implemented to prevent cyber-attacks. A systematic literature review and a qualitative content analysis research technique was used to assess the status of maritime organisation’s ability to identify and prevent such attacks. The results of the study indicate that the South African government has put relevant structures in place to ready the country for cyber-attacks, what is lacking is how these structures are used by organisations. This study also provides a brief overview of the existence of cybersecurity activities in the maritime transport industry of South Africa.
The Potential of Cabotage for Ports
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Smith-Godfrey, S.
With the new Comprehensive Maritime Transport Policy and the Draft Merchant Shipping Act, specific provision is made for Cabotage. The paper reviews the goal of having coastal shipping as a viable solution include the two interrelated challenges that exist for policy schemes and instruments that is required to be fulfilled in increasing Cabotage potential for both freight and passenger transport. The paper includes the identification of what are the requirements to make Cabotage part of the intermodal supply chain, instead of it being portrayed as competition to road transport. This is done by referring to the primary goals of Cabotage and what the customer satisfaction criteria for a Cabotage service is and what role ports can play in fulfilling both goals and criteria. This role of the ports is then reviewed to understand how to bridge current shore-based infrastructure deficits for Cabotage, by considering a literature review. The paper is limited to the above, but make some recommendations for ports to gear themselves up for Cabotage implementation.
The Road Maintenance Backlog in South Africa
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Ross, D.; Townshend, M.
Commonly cited estimates of the road maintenance backlog in South Africa, including that used in the 2018 Draft Roads Policy for South Africa, quantified it at R197 billion in 2014. This paper interrogates the accuracy of this estimate by evaluating the extent to which national, provincial, and municipal road authorities are singularly and cumulatively affected by road maintenance backlogs as at 2017. The modelling suggests that rehabilitation backlogs are potentially as high as R135.4 billion for the paved road network and R281.2 billion for the gravel road network. Backlog estimates are also generated for gravel to surface upgrades and the contingent liability posed by unproclaimed roads. The discussion of these results addresses the implications for road investment policy, budget planning, and attempts to develop an integrated funding model.
The Potential of Elephant Grass (Pennisetum Purpureum Schum), a Nigerian Indigenous Grass, in Bioethanol Production: A Decarbonization Alternative for the Maritime Industry
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Azeke, E.M.; Eze, C.L.; Ubong, I.; Kuroshi, L.
It is true that fossil based energy has contributed immensely to global economic growth. Unfortunately, its usage is accompanied by the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), a principal greenhouse gas. Studies using business as usual (BAU) model, has predicted that CO2 emission into the atmosphere will increase by 50-250% by the year 2050. The transportation industry has remained one of the highest contributors to this global carbonization. About 40% of all CO2 emissions by 2050 will be caused by shipping and aviation if left unregulated, a study published by the European Parliament revealed. The above scenario has heightened the interest in energy crops development as resources for alternative/renewable energy purpose. Elephant grass (Pennisetum Perpureum Schum), an African indigenous grass, is an abundant, C4 grass, investigated for its potential as a renewable energy source. Elephant grass feedstock (stem & leaves) was subjected to laboratory analysis for its total carbohydrate content (TCC) via proximate composition analysis. For ethanol production experiments, feedstock acidic hydrolysis, using 0.5M of dilute H2SO4 was adopted. The pH of the hydrolyzed supernatant was adjusted to 5.0 using 10M NaOH solution. Fermentation medium was prepared using 10g of dextrose, 0.2g yeast extract and 1g urea. The fermentation process using 0.5g of Saccharomyces cerevisae at 350C for a period of 1 to 5 days was subjected to distillation process at 78.30C. Proximate composition analysis showed a 74.2% TCC, a huge content for conversion to bioethanol. The fermentation process showed increase in ethanol yield with increase in feedstock concentration. From the foregoing, elephant grass has the potential to serve as energy crop for biofuel production for automobiles including some auxiliary engines of ships if not major ones.
The Effectiveness of Control of Speed by Illusion Lines (COSBI Lines)
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Van Der Spuy, J.
The case study is on a section National Route (N2) near Somerset West/Strand, South Africa. The N2 is a divided dual carriageway surfaced freeway from Cape Town to the start of the experimental section located at the end of the freeway. The road changes from west to east from a high-speed zone to a low-speed zone, leading into two left and a right curves with a priority controlled intersection between the left and right curves. The change from a high- to a low-speed zone results from a change in road classification from a freeway posted at 120 km/h to urban arterial posted at 60 km/h. The geometry approaching the curves from the west is a 2 km straight section of freeway. The geometry allows the motorist to travel at speed around the curve but it is a safety risk due to the reverse curves and the intersection between the curve, as well as queuing in the afternoon peak periods due to the set of traffic signals 1,44 km to the east. Control of Speed by Illusion (COSBI) lines are 600 mm wide transverse painted markings (bars) that are set out at a gradually decreasing spacing that gives the motorist the illusion that he is increasing his speed. This is known as a set of bars. The spacing of the COSBI lines was calculated to reduce the speed of the motorist from 120 km/h to about 60 km/h. It would be normally recommended that the road marking material be thermo-plastic or cold melt plastic to ensure that there is a slight level difference. With the level difference, the bars also act as a rumble strip. For this case study the use of normal retro-reflective road marking paint was used as the road is to be resurfaced. The South African National Road Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) approved, the case study to determine the effectiveness of COSBI lines by performing a speed study before and after the application thereof. Speeds were measured by means of a radar gun. The disadvantage of using a manual speed measuring device is that the speeds of only isolated vehicles or the first vehicle in a platoon can be measured. This was not considered a severe constraint as both the before and after studies were done under the same constraint and the single or leading vehicle would be the speeding vehicle of which the behaviour needs to be monitored and changed. The case study found that a 10 to 15 km/h speed reduction was achieved with before speeds of up to 87 km/h reducing to 72 km/h over the short term as measurements were made about the day after and 5 weeks after installation. It is recommended that longer term after studies be done to check if drivers revert to previous speeds. The design procedures formulated by Katz (2007) is not applicable to local conditions.
Bio-Invasion and Onshore Ballast Water Management: A Viable Solution for Developing Economies
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Kuroshi, L.
The arrival of aquatic exotic species in a new area increases with proximity to seaports, thereby raising bio-security concerns for our seaports and coastal environments. Protecting our national borders against these possible biological invaders arising from the discharge of planktons found in ships ballast water could be a very difficult undertaking. This is because the environmental and socioeconomic costs associated with these invaders are the unintended and unavoidable side effects or externalities of the shipping trade. There are two motivations for this paper. The first is the concern raised at the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) 67 and 68 meetings of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regarding the capacity of some type-approved Ballast Water Management (BWM) Systems to meet the performance standard (D-2) required in the BWM Convention at-all-times and in all conditions. The second is based on the reluctance expressed by some ship-owners to install the BWM System on-board their ships as suggested by a Lloyd's List survey. In an attempt to address the aforementioned concerns, a holistic view of ballast water management encompassing design, regulatory compliance and the associated ergonomics of BWM Systems operation were reviewed with respect to some peer reviewed research work done by the author. The outcome revealed a preference for onshore BWM as against the predominantly globally accepted shipboard management. An exemption concept for ships was subsequently proposed in this paper to optimize onshore application of BWM, especially for developing countries.
Cope Levels in Modern Ports: A Case Study for the Port of Ngqura
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Ahmed, T.A.; Mutombo, K.
Nowadays, with the increasing climatic challenges, ports are beset with many uncertainties about their futures. They are confronted with new demands for infrastructure adaptation, new external constraints, and changed expectations. The inability to adequately meet these demands will lead to huge consequences for a port. This is mainly attributed to the fact that traditional practices of port planning have remained static in an ever-increasing dynamic world. Predicting the future using linear tools for complex non-linear systems is bound to fail. A new complex non-linear approach is needed. The complex nature of climate risks presents major difficulties for port infrastructure adaptation. Despite the availability of climate data at large, there is presently no provision for a port wide approach for assessing and incorporating these data into port adaptation. This paper proposes a methodology for determining cope levels in ports. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the methodology, the port of Ngqura is used as a case study. Central to this study is the building of widespread industry recognition of the need to factor climate change into decision making at early stages of port development.
High Speed, Rear End, Partial Overlap Crash Test of a Large Sedan and Stationary Commercial Trailer
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Proctor-Parker, C.; Stopforth, R.
Crash scenarios involving a rear end impact are common place internationally. Some of the most devastating collisions are often where a sedan collides into the rear of a commercial trailer, partial overlap. This type of crash is almost always with serious or fatal consequences. With a high number of these identified in a recent high profile Major Crash Investigation (MCI), a real life high speed test of this scenario was undertaken. Obtaining data from such a crash in a controlled environment for future comparative analysis is rarely presented. This paper presents a brief overview of the setup and results of the high speed rear end, sedan to stationary commercial trailer.
Experimental Skid Analysis of a Vehicle on a Gravel Road
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Proctor-Parker, C.; Stopforth, R.
Skid control on a typical dry rural sandy, gravel road had been investigated, to identify the skid and braking characteristics. Experimental analysis was performed on a vehicle travelling at three different speeds (80, 60 and 40 km/h) and for each speed three different levels of tyre wear condition (tyres with tread as new, approximately 38% and wholly illegal or below tread wear indicator level). The effect of severe tyre pressure difference on one side of the vehicle combined with the illegal tyres was also considered. Testing was undertaken with and without ABS braking. A drag factor (based on drag sled values obtained on the test section) of 0.52 was used as a theoretical value and basis of determining skid / stop distance. The results of these tests are that • The skid distances were observed to be similar to the theoretical skid distances (based on drag sled determined drag factors) when no ABS brakes were used. • The general observation was that the skid distances on gravel increased, the smoother the tyres were. • The observed differences between the different inflation levels of the tyres, showed a small difference. • All runs where the RHS tyres were underinflated (1.1 bar or 50% inflation), presented with an obviously clearer, more defined ABS braking mark on the right side tyres, compared to the fully inflated tyres. • There was generally a difference when the ABS brakes were activated, as the skid distance was more than the theoretical skid distance (based on drag sled determined drag factors). • When the ABS brakes were deactivated, the vehicle skid out of control, yet when it was activated, the skid of the vehicle was in a straight line. • Correction factors that could be used to calculate a more accurate skid distance on gravel roads using drag sled determined drag factors; when ABS brakes were used was found to be 1.165; and for illegal tyres 1.3.
Using Cost-Effectiveness Analysis to Screen and Rank Road Projects in Namibia
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Ross, D.; Townshend, M.
This paper uses Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) to assist the Namibian Roads Authority cost-effectively allocate a €60.0 million loan from International Development Agencies between 8 trunk road maintenance and upgrade projects in Namibia. The investment objective against which the road projects are assessed is to increase economic growth by supporting a world-class logistics hub. But data limitations, which are common for many developing countries, preclude the use of Cost-Benefit Analysis to reliably evaluate the road projects. Because CEA can be run with only project cost and traffic data, this approach is presented as an alternative to screen and rank the road projects. The screening exercise uses the €60.0 million budget constraint to limit the number of alternative road projects. The available road projects are then ranked in order of their contribution to the stated investment objective, with stress tests conducted using Monte Carlo analysis to account for uncertainty in the traffic forecasts. The cost-effectiveness ratios are analysed to determine: the most efficient road project; the road project with the maximum effect; and the optimal combination of road projects to be funded within the available budget.
Macro Transportation Modelling in eThekwini: An Exploration of Traffic Predictions Over the Past Five Decades and Its Impact on Transport Plans and Programmes
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Moodley, L.; Rampersad, M.
The eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA) of the eThekwini Municipality has been at the forefront of transportation planning for the past fifty years and macroscopic traffic modelling has been at the heart of much work that has been done during this period. Large volumes of data were collected and many macro models have been developed in order to better predict future traffic growth. This enabled the city to prepare short, medium and long term plans to cater for the anticipated traffic growth in the greater Durban area. Over this period the size and shape of the city study area has grown from 800 km2 to about 2 555 km2. Similarly the population has grown fivefold to about 3.6 million. This paper explores the journey of transportation planning in the City and highlights traffic predictions and infrastructure planning emanating from the analysis. The paper further highlights the level of accuracy of the predictions, challenges and key opportunities. Technological advances have played a pivotal role in this journey. The paper also details how the journey has been influenced by technology, mode choice and the political landscape. It also provides some insights into the future specifically highlighting key aspects relating to predict and provide and the impacts of disruptive technology.
Trip Patterns at Primary Schools
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Heyns, C.; Bruwer, M.
In the town of Stellenbosch, vehicular trips to and from schools are major contributors to traffic congestion during peak times. The congestion that is observed at individual schools within Stellenbosch, varies significantly, suggesting that the trip patterns of learners are different depending on the school they attend. The number of trips generated by a school is estimated using trip generation rates as proposed in documents such as the Institute of Transportation Engineers Trip Generation Manual, the South African Trip Data Manual (TMH17) and Department of Transport Traffic Manual. This research, however, found variation in vehicular trip generation potential among different schools according to quintile, which is not taken into account by the standard trip generation rates. Further to this the vehicular trip generation rate of schools has changed over time due to modal shift towards motorised transport, specifically private vehicle. It is therefore possible that the number of trips to/from a given school is over or under estimated when the traffic impact of a school is evaluated. Although the travel behaviour of learners has been intensely researched in the past, very few studies compare the travel behaviour of primary school learners attending schools with different socio-economic characteristics. This study aims to understand learners’ travel behaviour by investigating and comparing the trip generation rate and modal split of learners aged 9 to 13 attending five primary schools in Stellenbosch.
The Jwaneng Kalahari Sand-Asphalt LTPP Experiment: Performance Over 14 Years and Derivation of Pavement Designs
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Netterberg, F.; Pinard, M.I.
The Jwaneng long-term Kalahari base course experiment on the Kanye-Jwaneng road in Botswana was opened to traffic early in 1980. It consisted of 12 sections of Kalahari fine sand- asphalt using various tars and bitumens and 11 sections of calcrete with two control sections of gravel base and subbase, all under a double surface treatment and most over an untreated Kalahari fine sand as subbase and lower layers. The purpose of the experiment was to evaluate various alternative base material and thickness designs for roads in the Kalahari where good quality gravels are scarce. However, only the sand-asphalts and their performance are described here as the calcretes have been reported elsewhere. After about 0,4 ME80 in 13 years when the experiment was terminated an analysis of the data available enabled conservative designs to be derived for pavements with Kalahari sand-asphalt bases on untreated sand lower layers to carry traffic in five categories ranging from 0,1 to an extrapolated 1,0 ME80. The experiment also showed that it is not necessary to import a gravel subbase as sand compacted to 97-100% MAASHO performed well and, if confined, could even be considered as untreated base course for a lightly trafficked road.
Freeway Management Systems: Supporting Capacity Improvements for All Modes
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) De Klerk, W.; Krogscheepers, C.
Commuters on Cape Town freeways experience congestion on a daily basis. The Freeway Management System (FMS) was used to inform various studies, amongst others specific network improvement studies and the Congestion Management Strategy of the City of Cape Town. One of the outcomes of these studies identified a section of Strand Road in Bellville as a top priority. Queues of up to 5 kilometres regularly spilled back onto R300 freeway during the weekday morning peak periods. This not only resulted in significant delays to all road users, but more specially increased the risk of crashes along the freeway. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how the identified improvements implemented along Strand Road improved not only the traffic operations for the freeway and arterial users, but also for all other modes of traffic, including pedestrians and cyclists, but more importantly all public transport users. This paper also illustrates simple design concepts, which are often neglected and which if implemented improve traffic operations and the safety and user experience of pedestrians and cyclists.
Improving Incident Detection KPI on SANRAL’s Freeways in Gauteng
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Birungi, C.; Menon, A.
The South African National Roads Agency Ltd (SANRAL) primarily relies on CCTV cameras to detect traffic incidents occurring on the Freeway Management System (FMS) network. On the Gauteng FMS network, over 90% of the incidents are detected using CCTV cameras. The operators have to manually pan, tilt and zoom each camera to detect incidents along the freeway. Traffic incidents are the major cause of severe or fatal injuries, congestion and delays on the freeway. They may also result in secondary incidents such as rear-end or multi-vehicle collision. It is therefore of utmost importance that the incidents are detected and cleared within the shortest time span. In the current contract, SANRAL has set the ‘Incident Detection KPI’ as 3 minutes. In other words, on average, incidents have to be detected within 3 minutes from the time of occurrence of the incident. Once the incident has been detected, the operator would rewind the video footage to determine the ‘occurrence time’ of the incident. However, in most cases (approximately 70%), the occurrence time of the incident is unknown. This is predominantly because the camera was facing away from the incident location (facing the opposite direction). This study aimed at improving CCTV surveillance, given the current infrastructure and resources; thereby increasing the number of incidents with an occurrence time. The study assumed that there would be no changes to the current camera positions, type of camera being used and operational structure. It was also assumed that there would be no additional cameras or human resources. Several surveillance methods were evaluated. The proposed surveillance method was tested using a before and after study. Incident data from May 2017 was used as the “before” and incident data from May 2018 (three months after implementation of the proposed new method) was used as the “after” period. The results of the analysis showed that subsequent to the implementation of the automated pre-set surveillance method, the number of incidents with an occurrence time increased by approximately 15% – an increase of approximately 500 incidents. The paper eludes to some of the shortcomings that still exist in the new method and possible ways of overcoming it.
Convenience and Simplicity for the Commuter is at the Heart of Open Architecture Payment Technologies
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Hart, M.; Kelly, A.
This paper considers the challenges for major African cities to provide a better public transport service for the passengers that rely on multiple networks on a daily basis. It recognises that the long-term goal of many cities is to provide an integrated transport network, a goal that will be difficult to achieve any time soon, and discusses how current card-centric, closed loop systems could implement Account Based Ticketing platforms to provide a frictionless, integrated transport experience and a step towards Mobility as a Service.
BRT Station Capacity Analysis: Optimising Bus Rapid Transit Station Design Through Capacity Analysis
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Lowe, R.; Frieslaar, A.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is being prioritised in countries that want to implement fast, affordable and reliable public transport. Because this is a relatively new mode of public transport, there is limited literature dealing specifically with BRT design and design analysis. As a result, the need for a way to analyse and validate BRT related design decisions was realised. The concept of the BRT Station Capacity Analysis Methodology was explored to assist with high-level planning and decision making on corridor design. It is a method of analysing the major components of a public transport station based on the calculated capacity of the component and the associated Level of Service criteria. The results are also used to identify areas that limit the overall functionality of a station, and areas where components are overdesigned. This process promotes sustainable design and the responsible use of resources and materials. This paper presents the methodology for analysing station component capacities and optimising station design based on the optimal application of existing information.
Cycle Route Network Development and Evaluation Using Spatial Multi-Criteria Analysis and Shortest Path Analysis
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Vorster, J.M.; Zuidgeest, M.H.P.
Cities today face many urban challenges and sustainable transportation is one of these. Cycling has been proposed as one of a basket of solutions as it is an efficient way of travelling in urban areas over short to medium distances for a variety of trip types. The planning of cycle route networks is, however, challenging as traditional methods are incapable of adequately dealing with the conflicting objectives of various stakeholders and multiple spatial and non-spatial criteria used to measure these. Because of this, traditional methods are criticised for not being open and transparent, leaving many stakeholders dissatisfied. Moreover, the route qualities desired by cyclists are rarely adequately included in the identification of optimal routes. To address these concerns, the proposed method takes advantage of spatial multi-criteria analysis (SMCA), which combines the powerful set of tools for the manipulation and analysis of spatial information provided by geographical information systems (GIS), and the techniques available in multi-criteria analysis (MCA) for structuring decision problems, and designing, evaluating and prioritising alternatives. This paper uses SMCA to develop a network of optimal cycle routes, which focuses around the needs of cyclists while taking account of other stakeholder requirements, for a defined area in the metropolitan of Port Elizabeth in South Africa. The quantitative scores assigned to routes allows for a subjective evaluation of alternatives, and the directness of routes calculated in the final step of the method can be used as an additional metric in the prioritisation of planned infrastructure upgrades. The case study showcases the method’s ability to act as a decision support system for cycle route network planning at a strategic level.
Bikeshare on a University Campus: Lessons from a Pilot Project at the University of Pretoria
(Southern African Transport Conference, 2019) Venter, C.; Mangane, T.; Du Plooy, N.; Van Zyl, N.J.W.; Matlawe, I.; Krynauw, M.; Shuping, T.
In 2018 the University of Pretoria implemented a bikeshare system as a pilot project on its campus to test its feasibility, and to help develop the capacity of City of Tshwane officials to implement future bicycle promotion schemes. Innovative aspects of the pilot included the inclusion of both electric and manual bicycles in a hybrid fleet, the development of a web-based booking and registration system, and the continuous GPS tracking of bicycles for security and data collection purposes. Pre- and post surveys and focus groups provided information on the demand for bikeshare, and how it was used. The paper reviews this evidence, concluding that there is a demonstrated role for bikeshare in certain niche markets in South African cities. Bikeshare’s biggest benefit is its potential to expand the mobility of current pedestrians, although it also demonstrated a modest ability to capture trips from car users and to support public transport as a first/last kilometer solution.

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