The South African government, public and private organisations are investigating the potential benefits of the application of intelligent transport systems (ITS) in South Africa. This paper describes the results of an impact assessment for two South African Highway corridors: the Ben Schoeman Highway in Gauteng and the N2 near Cape Town. The ex ante evaluation study has been performed using the microscopic traffic simulation model Paramics. Since driving behaviour on South African roads is very different from driving behaviour in Europe or the US, the model had to be calibrated using actual data. Based on a scan of international literature, it was concluded that bus/high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, the application of variable message signs (VMS) to limit speeds and ramp metering are the most promising ITS measures for South Africa. The results of the scenario analyses for these ITS measures are discussed and compared with findings in the literature. For the covering abstract see ITRD E134653.
Samenvatting