Access � Available, Restricted or Denied

It has been some time now since I put anyone on the morning bus for Johannesburg and for some reason had expected to do so at the bus station. Fortunately I was hopelessly wrong because both the Inter Cape and Monnakgotla buses leave the main Mall at 6:30am and at that time of day, that part of Gaborone looked very good – far better, I am sure, than the Bus Station.

A start was being made in sweeping up the day before’s garbage, shops and supermarkets were yet to open and school children in dozens had the pavements to themselves and were making their way on foot to school, all white ankle socks and regulation ties. When the weather is cool and for that short period of the day, traffic free, Gaborone, handed over to the walking young – all adults move around in vehicles – has a wonderfully refreshing innocence. I loved it.  But then came the drive back to Odi and despite being regularly informed about the commuter traffic into town, I was appalled.  The two-lane tail-back went on and on and on – until finally petering out well past the old Ag. College at somewhere in the BDF/Glen Valley turn off/ Content area.  When all of Phakalane’s completed BHC houses are occupied and the five hundred or so now under construction are taken up by two-car owning families, all being Gaborone dependent, the single road providing access to it from the north will become murderous. Alas, further housing development in Phakalane will represent only part of the problem because massive development in Gaborone North alone, is about to overwhelm that single road system. It is by no means impossible that commuter drivers, already positioned in that desperate queue, will refuse to allow new comers to squeeze themselves in.

If that happens, the many hundreds of commuters from Glen Valley, Gaborone North and Phakalane could find themselves obliged to turn to the north, instead of the south, so that they might join the end of the tail-back somewhere near, first Morwa, and then, as the situation worsens, Pilane. Is there anyone in Government giving thought to this problem?  Doubtless someone will point out that with single road access, the situation to the south, west and east is identically the same. 

Editor's Comment
Congratulations Anicia Gaothuse!

The contest had 10 beautiful young girls as finalists and unfortunately only one could wear the crown.The judges picked Anicia Gaothuse. To all those who feel their contestant should have won ahead of Anicia for whatever reason, hardly; the judges found Anicia to be the best among the best, so desist from disrespecting our newly crowned queen on social media or anywhere else, for that matter! Each of the 10 beautiful young women had supporters...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up