Engineering News | Transport

Roads News

Toll-road financing evolves

14th December 2001 The evolution of toll-road financing in South Africa continues unabated. From the first privately-financed tollroad - the N1 Warmbaths to Pietersburg – through to the recently-closed Platinum toll-road, there has been a measured change in certain key parameters. →

R67-milion upgrade project under way

14th December 2001 Innovation has been the order of the day during the R67-million project to upgrade the N3-12 road between Geldenhuys and Leondale Roads in Gauteng, reports road paving specialist Tosas. →

R365m overhaul of SA traffic info system

By: Laura Franz 14th December 2001 Over the next five years, South Africa’s nine-year-old National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) will receive a much-needed overhauling to the tune of some R365-million. →

35 trailers for timber industry

7th December 2001 MOSSEL Bay engineering and transportation solution company John Daniel Containers (JDC) has been awarded a R14-million contract for the supply of 35 trailers and the fitment of truck bodies which will be used in the timber transport industry. →

Platinum toll-road speeds ahead

By: Laura Franz 7th December 2001 Three months into the project, and the rainy season notwithstanding, earthworks on the R2,3-billion Bakwena Platinum Highway are already ahead of schedule, reports Platinum Joint Venture (PJV) contracts manager (for sector 7) Frikkie du Plessis. →

R500m Springs–Ermelo road-rehab plan

By: Martin Zhuwakinyu 23rd November 2001 The National Roads Agency (NRA) plans to rehabilitate and upgrade a 162-km stretch of the N17 highway between Springs, in Gauteng, and Ermelo, in Mpumalanga, at a cost of about R500-million. →

'40% of public investment should be in infrastructure'

23rd November 2001 In a developing economy at least 40% of public investment and 20% of the country’s total investment portfolio should be channelled into infrastructure. →

Overarching regional strategy embraced

By: Deborah Spicer 16th November 2001 Regional co-operation and integration was seen as one of the central pillars of Africa’s economic development when the concept of the African Renaissance started being fleshed out three years ago. →

Malawi embraces South African road technology

By: Marcel Chimwala 16th November 2001 Malawi – A Malawi contractor for South Africa's Con-Aid International, JV Homepride and Business Associate, has launched a South African road-maintenance product, Con-Aid chemical soil stabiliser in Malawi. →

Rolling-stock contract creates 100 jobs

9th November 2001 The Rolling Stock Division (RSD) of Dorbyl group has entered into a contract, valued at R25-million, with Bombardier Transportation SA for the upgrading of 88 Class 5M2A suburban coaches, made up of 22 motor coaches and 66 trailer coaches. →

Mountain roads to take Lesotho home

By: Laura Franz 9th November 2001 Almost eight months after the first excavations on the steep slopes of the Maluti Mountains, in northern Lesotho, the Mohale feeder roads are beginning to take shape, reports RB Project Management (RBPM) MD Rolf Beger. →

Plan to grow local bike market

By: Martin Zhuwakinyu 2nd November 2001 The Department of Transport is spearheading a nationwide project that should see bicycles, long-neglected by planners, becoming a significant feature of South Africa’s transport landscape within the next few years. →

BEE firms in Jhb airport upgrade

By: Martin Zhuwakinyu 2nd November 2001 The concrete structure of the new domestic terminal being built at Johannesburg International Airport (JIA) is on schedule for completion next month, and kitting it out will take another year. →

Southern Africa's Western trade Corridor is opening

By: Keith Campbell 2nd November 2001 The Walvis Bay Corridor is now coming into operation, so shortening the time Gauteng exports destined for the rich Atlantic region (the Americas, Europe, West Africa) will take to market. →

Transnet 'end state' document awaited

By: Keith Campbell 19th October 2001 IT is highly unlikely that any significant announcement on the restructuring of Transnet will be made before the end of the year. →

Flagship SDI gets State buy-in

15th October 2001 The Mpumalanga government has reaffirmed its support for the Maputo Development Corridor. →

. . . $6m Malawi roads project

By: Marcel Chimwala 12th October 2001 Malawi is preparing to carry out annual routine maintenance of its main roads and selected urban roads. →

Potential in SADC transport sector

By: Martin Zhuwakinyu 5th October 2001 Southern Africa’s restructuring transport sector presents immense opportunities for private investors, delegates to this year’s Southern African trade and investment summit were told. →

Taxi Recapitalisation Project, countrywide

3rd October 2001 Transport Minister Dullah Omar updated the minibus taxi process at a parliamentary media briefing on September 12. →

30% of State engineer on auction block

By: Martin Zhuwakinyu 28th September 2001 Thirty per cent of the shareholding of each of Rotek Industries subsidiaries Rotek Engineering (RE) and Roshcon will be owned privately from February next year, a Johannesburg firm appointed to advise the government on the long-awaited restructuring tells Engineering News. →

'Final shortlist for taxi recap contract by end of the year'

28th September 2001 This month saw taxi operators confirm their support for government’s minibus taxi recapitalisation programme, which will see South Africa’s current 16-seater taxi fleet replaced with the safer and more reliable 18-seater and 35-seater taxis. →

Transport aircraft alliance for Denel

By: Keith Campbell 28th September 2001 Denel Aviation has entered into exploratory contracts with European aerospace companies PZL-Mielec and Alenia, to examine the possibilities for transport aircraft in Africa. →

Roads division keeps growing

28th September 2001 The roads and earthworks division of one of South Africa’s largest construction companies has never stopped growing since its inception in 1983. →

Building institutions for development

28th September 2001 There is remarkable consensus emerging between the world’s leading development finance institution (DFI), the World Bank, and South African DFIs, about what is required to ensure development and poverty reduction. →

Senegal seeks energy partners

28th September 2001 SENEGAL – Potential strategic partners in Senegal’s electricity company, Senelec, presented their offers to the Senegalese government two weeks ago. →

SA needs to come to terms with road vs rail dilemma

By: Martin Zhuwakinyu 21st September 2001 National rail utility Spoornet is well known for its incessant shrills for a level playing field, which will enable it to compete more effectively with road hauliers for bulky freight. →

SA help sought for 'future vehicle'

By: Keith Campbell 14th September 2001 BRITAIN is offering the South African automotive industry a partnership in the commercialisation of new road vehicle technologies. →

Still long way to go for Shilowa Express

By: Irma Venter 14th September 2001 Consortia interested in constructing the Gautrain Rapid Railway, linking Johannesburg, Pretoria and Johannesburg International Airport (JIA), have been invited to bid. →

Road engineers encouraged to use resources efficiently

14th September 2001 The local road engineering sector will have to expand its imagination to ensure the sustainability of road building in the future. →

Taxi conference tomorrow

13th September 2001 The long-awaited National Taxi Conference will begin in Durban on Friday. →

Foreign backers help drive N4 Platinum Corridor

By: Martin Zhuwakinyu 7th September 2001 In a show of confidence in the way South Africa handles toll-road concessions, foreign financiers are putting up half of the R3-billion needed for the N4 Platinum highway project, being built for Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire (BPCC) by a four-company consortium known as the Platinum... →

Market leader sees growth in demand

By: Deborah Spicer 31st August 2001 An important part of any vehicle manufacturer’s business is predicting correctly how much product demand there will be and then catering for that demand. →

Wheel-bearing kits available

31st August 2001 Bearing manufacturer Bearing Man, one of the largest distributors of Timken bearings throughout Southern Africa, now has a range of Timken MileMate wheel bearing kits that are designed and manufactured to increase truck and trailer uptime. →

Nathi Khena, Putco

31st August 2001 Nathi Khena →

Southern African railways: is it sunrise or sunset?

By: Keith Campbell 31st August 2001 The SADC railway network is a regional physical communication and integration network of enormous importance and potential, but which faces major challenges and needs radical reform →

New safety code for rail industry

31st August 2001 The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) will develop safety standards for the local railway industry – an initiative which is believed could facilitate uniform railway safety standards for the entire Southern African Development Community and even the sub-Saharan region. →

Fast refuellers for mining firm

31st August 2001 Mpumalanga company Middelburg Mine Services has standardised on a fast refuelling system from IMS Industrial Products for its fleet of Cat 785 trucks and other machines to reduce downtime and eliminate spillage of diesel fuel. →