THE traffic congestion to Port Louis (PL) is a major problem that has been haunting authorities and the public at large for several years now. The magnitude of the problem and resulting losses are growing day by day.

Government has now called in a Singapore expert to propose solutions that would tackle this problem. In view of what is being proposed, it may not be very long before the situation start worsening again!

First, let us consider what has been happening over the past years. The following actions were taken at one point or another:

• Opening of a 3rd lane to PL from the South in the morning

• Introduction of paid parking areas in PL centre

• Increase in parking rates, coupled with Park & Ride concept

• Construction of a fly-over for traffic entering PL from the South

Immediately following the introduction of each of above measures, slight improvements in flow and volume of traffic towards PL were noted. However, they were short-lived.

Why? Simply because actions were taken to address the symptoms of the problem, rather than the problem itself! Authorities have failed to see this as a systemic problem and therefore these solutions were inappropriate to secure long-term results.

Let us understand some basic universal facts about any system:

• The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back ? well intentioned interventions call forth responses from the system that offset the benefits of the intervention.

• Behaviour grows better before it grows worse ? time lags make it hard to recognize systemic problems.

• The easy way out usually leads back in ? what we will need is a bigger hammer.

From a systems perspective, we realize what has been the long-term effect of applying the symptomatic solution to traffic congestion to PL. In short, it has grown worse: long-term consequence of applying non-systemic solution has resulted in increased need for more and more of similar measures ? the syndrome of short-term solution leading to long-term dependency. Moreover, since cause and effect are not closely related in time and space ? there is a delay ? unintended side effect, such as an increase in the number of private parking spaces within PL, has developed.

We are now being proposed yet another symptomatic solution ? payment of a significant penalty (congestion pricing) to enter PL by car every weekday. It is high time for all stakeholders to realize that what we need is a fundamental, long-term solution to the problem. It is not fair for thousands of car owners-drivers to shoulder and pay for the inefficiencies of authorities to tackle this systemic problem.

It is argued that the proposed congestion pricing will help reduce congestion by approximately 15%. At an annual car growth rate of 9% (average over the last ten years), it will be at most two years before we are back to square one! As simple as that, should we rely on short-term solutions only?

Other measures being proposed are:

• Improvement of bus operations

• Review of car parking charges (again!)

• Introduction of flexitime

However, none of these measures is really addressing the real cause(s) of the problem. They are addressing the symptoms and trying to alleviate them. In order to understand the real problem and to be able to look for fundamental and long-term solutions, one must look at it from a systems perspective and understand the underlying systemic behavior.

The symptomatic solution has an apparent time frame advantage over the fundamental solution (because of the associated delay with a fundamental solution). The problem symptom (congested traffic) therefore influences the application of the symptomatic solution (congestion pricing, higher parking charges, etc.), the application of which reduces the problem symptom (traffic congestion), hence dissolving the necessity of pursuing the fundamental solution. The problem symptom will return if we fail to implement the fundamental solution!

The implementation of a symptomatic solution generally influences the development of unintended side effects, which are usually an indication of some sort of dependency. A side effect usually reinforces the perception that a fundamental solution to the problem is not required. As time passes and more and more of the symptomatic solution is applied (due to increasing dependency), coupled with the appearance of the side effects, the real problem becomes more and more difficult to resolve.

Let us stop here and ponder a minute what could be the unintended side effect of applying the congestion pricing. Just as private parking spaces have proliferated inside PL over the last few years, we will now surely witness proliferation of private parking spaces on the outskirts of PL ? most probable areas being Coromandel, Plaine-Lauzun, Riche-Terre, Abercrombie and Pailles. Should this be the case, then congestion pricing would have failed as the congestion would still be there ? even worse! However, instead of going into or through PL, it will stop at the outskirts in these most likely parking areas. Now, does this look like any common sense solution?

Fundamental solution

The way the traffic congestion to PL has been (and still is being) handled is leading to the system moving in a direction other than the one desired ? a ?shifting the burden? structure. What then is the solution to the problem?

First, what is the real problem? Surely not the traffic congestion, this is only the symptom. Is it not the fact that too many services and offices, both public and private, are concentrated in PL? Is it not that many of these could very well operate as effectively located outside PL as from within? Once we realize and accept this, the fundamental solution becomes obvious! For example:

• Decentralize public and semi-public services, including the different police services and other authorities and organizations, away from PL as far as possible. There is really no need for most of them to be situated within PL. Use of regional offices to be optimized.

• Gradually re-allocate civil servants among ministries and/or regional offices so that the necessity that they will have to travel to or through PL to work is minimized. This 2nd measure reinforces the one above and both are to be implemented in parallel.

• Private firms to think and act in the same direction as given in above two measures. Resolving the real problem will necessitate the active commitment of the private sector as this is everybody?s problem and one cannot continue to sit back and wait for someone else (government) to resolve it on its own!

• Provide alternative routes (not necessarily the over-the-harbour bridge and surely not the PL ring road) to all those that are presently going through PL (North-South, South-North) ? this in itself will reduce the congestion by over 15%. Recently, there has been an interesting suggestion of diverting North-South and South-North bound traffic via La Nicolière instead of letting it go through PL.

Fundamental solution to the (real) problem may be a combination of above and similar measures. Implementation of these measures will necessitate careful planning and rigorous follow-ups. I am assuming that funding will not an issue, as these measures do not require huge capital investments, hence implementation can start fairly soon.

Authorities must also re-think any project or proposed infrastructure development in and around PL that could aggravate the traffic congestion.

However, first and foremost, government must be willing to tackle the real problem. In fact, application of these measures and the like will provide high leverage and lasting solution to the traffic congestion to PL. Finally, it is of great concern to all stakeholders and therefore we must all be committed to resolving it.

Mehaad Tegally