A Life cycle cost analysis of the Gauteng to Durban freight corridor: initial road corridor infrastructure costing

Abstract

Paper presented at the 26th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 9 - 12 July 2007 "The challenges of implementing policy?", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa. ABSTRACT:Numerous studies have been undertaken both locally and internationally to ascertain the most cost effective and beneficial form of freight transport, but in a number of instances these studies ignore certain basic externalities that require consideration and analysis to provide a meaningful and representative outcome. Only once all significant costs have been fully internalised can the performance of freight transport be accurately computed and investment in freight transport infrastructure satisfactorily justified. The paper firstly briefly reviews the progress with respect to the Gauteng to Durban Freight Study. The aim of the paper is to review the elements constituting the infrastructure costs of both the rail and road freight transport modes and to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current road infrastructure costs along the Gauteng to Durban Freight Corridor. The paper provides a comprehensive quantification of infrastructure costs of the road freight corridor extending from Gauteng to Durban utilising current construction costs for the estimate of the replacement value of the road network to a predefined condition. The analysis compares the comparative costs of the various infrastructure components on the road corridor and draws conclusions as to the effect of infrastructure costing on total life cycle costing along the Gauteng to Durban Freight Corridor with respect to road freight transport cost. It will furthermore discuss the freight capacity of the road transport mode in relation to its replacement costs and the capability of the existing infrastructure in fulfilling its predicted freight transport role.