The LRT line should be made into an exclusive train use track as far as possible except a transit mall type of joint use track.
A line that contains single track sections cannot be recommended. Public modes of urban transport should aim to maintain scheduled services of the highest possible frequency.
Crossing over with busy road intersections is something that should be avoided, even if routing conditions are slightly affected in an adverse way. In places where there is no choice but for the line to cross roads, signals should be provided to secure traffic safety and give right of passage to the LRT.
Financial analysis found the financial internal rate of return (FIRR) to be 10.6%, which is above the generally prescribed standard in South Africa and is judged to be a level which makes investment feasible. The business coefficient is around 60, which is a very high level for a rail undertaking. Sensitivity analysis found demand level, construction cost and the rate of interest to be variable factors, and the interest rate to have the greatest potential impact. As a result, it will be necessary to obtain funds for the project at a low rate of interest. Construction cost is also an important factor, and reducing the construction cost by saving on the major area of rolling stock procurement through domestic production is something which merits further examination.
The plan to build the LRT between the Waterfront and the CBD is deemed to be appropriate as a result of the study, however, as there are a number of problem areas in the existing plan, implementation should be advanced based on the alternative plan proposed in this report.
8.3 Future Study Direction
Issues of urban transport are really something that should be examined within the comprehensive transport system of the urban area, however, in view of the fact that this is a preliminary survey designed to gage problem areas and identify the direction for future surveys, and the fact that the Cape Town city administration had already been studying a comprehensive traffic network, it was decided to place the emphasis on reviewing the CBD- Waterfront LRT construction plan, into which examination had already reached an advanced stage.
