the gauteng spatial development framework - Gauteng Online

• Regional hubs may be twinned with more specialised, smaller hubs at inner-citylocations (those that are there historically or because a specialist facility is needed, e.g.retail distribution);Freight rail is to be regarded, as far as possible, as distinct from passenger rail with as littlesharing of the main lines as possible. For localised distribution, however, more capacity isto be found in localised rail freighting on shared goods/ passenger lines.• These twinned hubs work on a similar principle of rail linking the two hubs androad consolidating on or distributing from the smaller;• Major warehousing operations are the principle tenants of these very extensive regionalhubs;• The divisions of operations around these warehouses, whether road-side, railsideor air-side, are simply operational and there is common interest through all;Strictly defined and enforced new limitations in respect of axle-loading are to be set forroad-based freight vehicles, together with restrictions on road freight lines, with long-haulby road being permitted only on those routes not served by rail or where rail capacity istemporally or structurally limited.While Transnet is to have authority over the freight line system in terms of planning,implementation, maintenance and operations, all freight operators are to have the optionof extending their freight operations to include rail rolling stock drawn by Transnet.• A freight operator may well bring goods by road to the regional hub, consolidateshipment in that operator's warehouse and forward on that operator's freight trainon rail lines that are public domain just as the road system is public domain; and• Investors in freight can own road, rail and air freighting and associated equipment andare not precluded from any particular economic sub-sector.An integrated freight and logistics strategy for the GCRThe Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) is to take leadership of an integrated freightand logistics strategy for the GCR. This strategy is to be coordinated with wider nationalgovernment planning, but individual initiatives in the freight and logistics sector by localgovernment must be within a framework of leadership devised and administered by Province.The freight rail loop line and its improvements as planned by Transnet as a semi-ring on thenorthern, eastern and southern fringes of the urban system is adopted as the backboneof the freight and logistics strategy of the GCR (Figure C.1.2).A western component of this ring does not yet exist and is topographically and environmentallydifficult to achieve. Nevertheless, it is included as part of the overall strategy and planningwill continue to explore this link (Figure C.1.3).The regional hubs may be public, private or PPP development initiatives and be publicly orprivately owned and operated (depending on the model arrived at by the municipalities),but all freight and logistics operators or industries allied to the distribution industry are tohave the option of establishing their operation within one or more of these regional hubs.The three regional hubs identified by Transnet (a major regional hub at Bapsfontein; a largeregional hub at Pyramid, north of Tshwane; and a small regional hub at Sebokeng, northwestof Vanderbijlpark) are adopted as a basis of the GCR freight and logistics strategy(Figure C.1.1). These are not finite, and the feasibility of these hubs is subject to furtherstudy and analysis. The regional hubs identified by Transnet are to serve as inland ports andlogistics hubs on which goods consolidation and distribution and rail, road and air interchangeare focused.Various other regional hubs may be identified to augment this strategy, based on the logicof the Transnet loop line and how they (a) fit into the overall logic of the urban structure;(b) consolidate new development opportunities at points of multi-modal interface; and (c)offer new development opportunities in marginalised parts of the urban economy.Depending on whether a suitable western rail freight link can be found to complete theperipheral freight rail loop, possibilities for additional regional hubs are noted as Krugersdorp(possibly near the existing airfield) and Lanseria (as part of the wider Cradle City initiative).ANNEXURE C: POLICY PERSPECTIVESGAUTENG SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 2011GAUTENG GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY160