Congestion: Persistence Despite Large Investments In Infrastructure

Mauritian motorists are they, ultimately, turkeys a joke in bad taste? Which is to make them believe that there would be less in the future congestion on our roads. The truth is on our roads is like a carousel platform, it certainly soars but ultimately found that returned to the starting point.

And yet, it is not lack of projects to circumvent the effects of road traffic. No government has ever invested so much in road infrastructure. Budget 2012 provided some Rs 21.2 billion for this purpose.

Projects mentioned in the Budget Speech 2011 concerning the development of the Harbour Bridge as well as the installation of a transport service LRT. A sum of Rs 1.5 billion has been allocated to projects already approved but have not yet been implemented.

The fiscal year 2007/2008 reflects the government's desire to improve the road network. And it is a long list of projects listed.

Some examples: Interchange Caudan Highway Southeast gateway to the triangle Reduces stretch that connects Phoenix Beaux Songes the Gros-Bois-Mare d'Albert or bypass circuits Triolet, Goodlands and Rivière-du-Rempart.

Significant work has been done on the section between St. John's and Port-Louis. This work consisted of providing this corridor a third way. This work required the addition of a new structure to the bridge-Colville Deverell. The contract was awarded to Sino Hydro Compagny Ltd, a Chinese company.

In the process, the project to develop a circular route to Port-Louis was out drawers. Its implementation involves the installation of a underpass to link the MI motorway ring road to the construction of roads to connect well Guibies Sorèze to the construction of a tunnel between Guibies and the east side of Mountain-of-Signals.

Some Rs 400 million has been invested to build a road between the roundabout Jumbo Phoenix, one of Palma. This allows motorists to avoid Quatre-Bornes.

However, bottling quasi-permanent Pont-Fer/Port-Louis axis reflects the difficulty of the authorities to curb the effects of traffic dense and compact.

"The presence of roundabouts reflects our difficulty to evolve with the demands of reality on our roads, says Raffick Bahadoor, president of the Taxi Proprietors Union. It seems that the leaders of the movement have struggled to find a parade to eliminate all possibilities of time waiting on the main road.

He says: "As we approach every roundabout, it takes at least 5 minutes of waiting. The presence of two roundabouts in a narrow range in Phoenix is incomprehensible. Why should a motorist wait and gives priority to vehicles that arrive at the right height to Reduce Interchange? These are not solutions abound. Could replace roundabouts with flyovers that can be stacked if the situation requires. The localities between two ends can be connected by highways and direct. One can opt for the design of tunnel as well. "

An examination of some of the figures may help explain, in part, the difficulty authorities to neutralize the impact of congestion. Road construction seems he did not follow the trend of Mauritians to purchase a vehicle.

Between 2005 and 2010, the number of vehicles per square kilometer has increased steadily. 151 in 2005, rose to 180 in 2010, it is written in the 5th and 6th edition of the Digest of Road Transport and Road Accident Statistics published by Statistics Mauritius. In 2006, it was 158, 165 in 2007, 173 in 2008, 177 in 2009 and 180 in 2010.

Between 2008 and 2010, the construction of new roads has increased with caution. The road network consisted of 2 028 kilometers of roads in 2008. In 2009, it was 2066. The following year, it was $ 2080. Density on the roads has increased from 1.08 in 2006 to 1.12 in 2010.

Meanwhile, the fleet has grown rapidly. The latest figures published by Statistics Mauritius in outline. Only for the period January to June 2012, 13,118 vehicles came into circulation. 9880 or 75.3% of the quota were brand new cars. 2.655 Other (20.3%) were second hand cars imported from abroad. The rest is 583 (4.4%) are ghosts, that is to say vehicles that were not previously in traffic and have been re-recorded with the NTA.