Civil Engineering December 2021 | Vol 29 No 11

40 December 2021 Civil Engineering area required upgrades. The survey re- sults show that the truck drivers were not familiar with the layout of the port. Most port marshals spoke Portuguese, while most of the truck drivers were from South Africa. As a result of this language barrier, the truck drivers could not follow directions from the marshals. The truck drivers often got lost within the port, resulting in un- necessary truck traffic and congestion. Design thinking was adopted to find human-centric solutions. 7. Wayfinding and signage needed to be improved. 8. The weighbridges in the port were manually operated. This process took a long time and resulted in a queue spill back on the road which affected the capacity of the roadway as well. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS Fifteen cost-effective and sustainable interventions were proposed to improve the traffic flow at the port. These inter- ventions were grouped based on their degree of importance and timeline for implementation. They included: 1. A temporary truck staging area was designed and implemented with great success adjacent to the entrance of the port. The design allowed for better truck circulation and manoeuvring and therefore reduced congestion at the entrance. 2. As a long-term solution, a parcel of land further away from the port was identified for development as a per- manent staging area. The conceptual layout of the facility was designed along with 3D renderings and traffic simulations. 3. Wayfinding within the port was improved through better signage, compliant with SADC standards. Intelligent transport solutions such as automatic number plate recogni- tion and variable message signs were proposed as long-term solutions to further improve wayfinding. To date, some of the wayfinding proposals have been implemented and have been shown to improve wayfinding around the port. 4. Intersection redesign and upgrades within the port have increased the overall capacity and improved truck manoeuvrability at intersections. 5. Dedicated bus laybys, pedestrian walkways and signage for pedestrians have significantly reduced the number of pedestrian-vehicle conflict points within the port and improved pedes- trian safety. 6. Reallocating the existing weighbridges and redesigning the traffic flow on the ferrochrome slabs will increase the utilisation of existing infrastructure while reducing congestion. 7. A medium-term stakeholder engage- ment strategy was proposed to address external issues which contribute to the traffic situation around the port. 8. A long-term rail management plan was proposed to improve rail efficiency. 9. Automatic boom gates and traffic signals were proposed to improve weighbridge operations and traffic congestion at the rail crossings. SKILLS DEVELOPMENT For this project, 30 youth from Maputo were trained to conduct roadside inter- views. A full day training session was conducted during which the youth were introduced to transport planning princi- ples and the surveying methodology. CO-OPERATION WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS Several engagements were held with key port stakeholders including the port management company, companies within the port, border control, and customs. The drivers of the trucks and people working in the port were also interviewed. The stakeholder engagements pro- vided a holistic view of the day-to-day operations of the port, typical transport- related challenges and future plans. Thus, the study was able to provide a complete solution that took into consideration all of these aspects. ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES Safety was one of the client’s main priorities while performing any activity at the port. The safety of the surveyors was ensured by first conducting a safety induction. Thereafter, the surveyors were provided with PPE to ensure that they were visible, that they did not inhale dust and to protect them in case of any falling items. The roadside interviews were safely conducted at the access gate as the trucks queued to reduce the risk of incidents. CONCLUSION The logistics of executing an international project of this nature required customising Koleko’s existing project management, stakeholder engagement, communication, quality and risk management protocols as well as procedures to meet this project’s requirements. Design thinking and the use of tech- nology were the cornerstones in finding innovative, sustainable and cost-effective solutions. The project was completed on time, within budget and, most impor- tantly, to the client’s satisfaction. Besides MPDC, the project is also benefiting the citizens of Maputo, the EN4 toll operator, as well as rail, cross-border and customs authorities.  A new truck staging area allows for better truck circulation