Pan Africa Taxi & Retail Development
The Pan Africa Triangle, on the corners of 3rd Ave and Watt St, is
one of Alexandra's busiest areas. It is essentially the gateway to
Alex from Louis Botha Avenue, central Johannesburg, nearby Sandton and
the industrial area of Wynberg. The area was badly degraded with
severe traffic congestion, uncontrolled taxi movement and street
hawkers. It has a foot count of 10 000 people and a traffic count of 1
500 operating taxis per day.
As part of a broader plan to improve access to and from
Alexandra, work began on Watt Street in 2004. By 2006 Watt Street had
been rebuilt with a bridge across Louis Botha Avenue leading into the
Pan Africa Triangle.
The natural site for a transport node and taxi rank was a 15 000m2
area formally known as "Putcoland" which had originally housed a bus
depot. This site had been invaded by informal settlers and a myriad of
small businesses. Before any development could get underway, hawkers
needed new locations, and alternative arrangements had to be made for
the taxis that still had to transport people in and out of Alex.
An ambitious plan to rebuild the entire area was formulated making the
best possible use of the limited space available. The Pan Africa Taxi
and Retail Development includes the construction of a three-level
holding facility for taxis, a shopping centre and space for hawkers.
It is a joint venture between the City of Johannesburg, various
Gauteng Province departments, New Heights Developer, as well as other
stakeholders included taxi associations and operators, hawkers and the
local community.
Essentially the complex is divided by a road into two distinct
structures, with the buildings linked by two bridges. It will house a
50 000 m2 taxi rank including 960 parking bays for 15-seater vehicles,
while the 16 000m2 shopping centre will include two local taxi ranks,
a banking mall, a conventional retail level and parking, as well as
space for informal traders.
Local taxis will drop commuters and shoppers at a shuttle rank on the
shop level of the retail mall. The vehicles then cross one bridge to
the holding facility and circulate back across the second bridge to a
rank on the roof level, where they pick up new fares. There are also
drop off and collection points in the holding facility, which is
designed for longer distance operators. Drivers can also park,
maintain and clean their vehicles in the holding facility during
off-peak times.
For rental space in this new development please contact:
Jonathan Tagg
Office 011 884 9000
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