Free State Business 2017 edition

OVERVIEW
its operation, which has led to
the creation of more opportunities
for SMME truck owners. The
provincial government’s Women
in Transport and Logistics project
has given opportunities for work
to many operators.
Several national roads pass
through the province: the extremely
busy N3 to the ports of
Durban and Richards Bay, the N1
and N5 highways leading to the industrial
development zones at Port
Elizabeth (Coega) and East London,
with the N1 ending at the port city
of Cape Town. A plan to boost “corridor
development” along the N8 is
also in place. The N8 connects the
provincial capital with Lesotho’s
capital, Maseru, and the Northern
Cape city of Kimberley.
Harrismith is also centrally located:
300km from Johannesburg,
350km from Bloemfontein and
300km from Durban. This has
made it the ideal location for a logistics
hub and dry port, and the
volume of cargo passing through
Harrismith has been increasing
steadily for several years.
The Durban-Free State-
Gauteng logistics and industrial
corridor is not only intended
to promote better transport of
goods between the end points,
but also to boost economic development
in towns and rural
areas along the way. The Maluti-
A-Phofung SEZ (Special Economic
Zone) will contribute to this.
The Mangaung Metropolitan
Municipality has a five-year
Integrated Development Plan in
place, and transport is a key component.
The N8 is a central part of
the plan, providing, as it does, the
main link on the east-west axis.
The great advantage of being centrally located also brings with it
the challenge of maintaining roads that are heavily used. National roads
are maintained by the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral),
but there are many roads that the provincial government must keep
in good condition.
The preservation of the network includes ensuring that communities
are not isolated, that township roads are improved and bridges
maintained. Various banks of data also have to be maintained to assist
in management, for example, traffic counting, accident data and
overloading control.
Bloemfontein’s Bram Fischer International Airport is the province’s
major airport and is managed by Airports Company South Africa
(ACSA). A project covering 2 000ha and expected to cost in the region
of R100-billion over several phases has been initiated at the airport.
Ultimately, the area will have industrial land, mixed housing, a regional
mall and be served by public transport.
New Tempe Airport, 15km north of the city, is privately owned and
is used for charter flights, recreational flying and the Bloemfontein Air
Show. Airports are also located at Bethlehem and Welkom, and there
are a number of airstrips on farms and game reserves.
CONTACT INFO
Dept of Police, Roads and Transport
Physical address: 45 Charlotte Maxeke Street, Perm Building,
Bloemfontein 9301
Tel: +27 51 409 8849 | Fax: +27 51 409 8864
Website: www.policeroadstransport.fs.gov.za
Railroad Association of South Africa: www.rra.co.za
Roadfreight Association of South Africa: www.rfa.co.za
South African National Roads Agency Limited: www.nra.co.za
53 FREE STATE BUSINESS 2017