Construction for corridor C3 has started for the GO!Durban project and residents in the area can already see changes to the retaining wall on Beviss Road in front of Highway College. Further changes include the widening of the underpass on Beviss Road in preparation for the meridian Bus Rapid Transport lane.

In addition to these changes a new traffic light system is being installed at the intersection between Oppenheimer and Beviss road. These traffic lights became a necessity when the Principal of Highway College noted the high number of accidents in this area. These traffic lights aim to prevent any further incidents along this route.

The first ever annual GO!Durban Race Day saw City Manager Sbu Sithole and ETA Management, stakeholders such as PRASA and ETA staff participate in a race that used all of Durban’s existing public transport.

The participants went on various types of transport including taxi, train, bus and bike along a route that started at the Durban Central Station. The route, on one of the hottest days in Durban’s summer included taking a train to Kwa Mashu, taxis to Bridge City and Pinetown and buses which travelled down to Warwick Avenue, The Workshop, Durban beachfront and ended at People’s Park at Moses Mabhida Stadium. The race consisted of stops, selected destinations, tasks, activities  and challenges along the route. The aim of the interactive day was to give city leaders, stakeholders and the GO!Durban staff a chance to experience the challenges of using different modes of  public transport, that Durban residents currently use.

For more photos and information on the Race Day please visit our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/GoDurban

By 2030, the eThekwini Municipality will be Africa’s most caring and liveable city – and today’s GO!Durban launch has brought us all one step closer to realising this dream.

GO!Durban is an integrated rapid public transport network designed to provide all Durban commuters with a reliable, safe and organised transport service. Through rail, bus and non-motorised transport the GO!Durban project will upgrade the current transport system and develop a world-class city.

The Mayor Councillor James Nxumalo led the official speeches conveying his high hopes for the future of Durban. The launch has helped create an image of what the city can achieve through collaboration and passion. The GO!Durban project is a cooperation of different professionals working together to bring about a brighter future for all Durban citizens.

GO!Durban’s holistic approach ensures that the project will not only improve the infrastructure of the city but also the lives of many citizens. When the Pinetown development started in 2008 the GO!Durban team began preparing the area for road work and relocated the informal occupants. Many of the locals went from living in informal housing to owning RDP homes – these were the first real homes for many of them. In just over five years the informal houses, trees, boulders and rubble have been removed and work on the roads have begun.

The Pinetown construction site marks the beginning of a massive transformation in the area and is one of the first areas where GO!Durban has made a visible change to the Durban landscape. The majority of traffic passing through the town will be directed along this route allowing for faster flowing traffic. There will be three stations on this corridor and a connecting bridge for pedestrians has already been built.

GO!Durban is starting to take shape and in the next few years more areas will start to see the physical changes the project is making to the city. The Pinetown construction is just one step in developing a world-class city.