Durban Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! == Transport == === Air === {{Main|List of airports in the Durban area}} [[File:KSIA-Departures.jpg|thumb|[[King Shaka International Airport]] ]] [[King Shaka International Airport]] services both domestic and international flights, with regularly scheduled services to [[Dubai]], [[Doha]], [[Istanbul]], [[Harare]], [[Lusaka]] & [[Manzini, Eswatini|Manzini]] as well as eight domestic destinations. Flights to [[Luanda]] start on 16 January 2024. The airport's position forms part of the Golden Triangle between Johannesburg and Cape Town, which is important for convenient travel and trade between these three major South African cities. The airport opened in May 2010. King Shaka International Airport handled 6.1 million passengers in 2019/2020, up 1.8 percent from 2018/2019. King Shaka International was constructed at [[La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal|La Mercy]], about {{convert|36|km|mi}} north of central Durban. All operations at [[Durban International Airport]] have been transferred to [[King Shaka International]] as of 1 May 2010, with plans for flights to [[Hong Kong]], [[Singapore]], [[Mumbai]], [[Kigali]], [[Luanda]], [[Lilongwe]] and [[Nairobi]]. === Sea === [[File:Durban harbor.jpg|thumb|Durban Harbour]] Durban has a long tradition as a port city. The [[Port of Durban]], formerly known as the Port of Natal, is one of the few natural [[Harbor|harbour]]s between [[Port Elizabeth]] and [[Maputo]], and is also located at the beginning of a particular{{clarify|date=June 2021}} weather phenomenon that can cause extremely violent seas. These two features made Durban an extremely busy [[Port|port of call]] for ship repairs when the port was opened in the 1840s. [[MSC Cruises]] bases one of their cruise ships in Durban from November to April every year. From the 2023/2024 Southern Africa cruise season [[MSC Cruises]] will be basing the [[MSC Splendida]] in Durban. Durban is the most popular cruise hub in Southern Africa. Cruise destinations from Durban on the [[MSC Splendida|MSC ''Splendida'']] include [[Mozambique]], [[Mauritius]], [[RΓ©union]], [[Madagascar]] and other domestic destinations such as Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Many other ships cruise through Durban every year, including some of the world's biggest, such as the [[RMS Queen Mary 2|RMS ''Queen Mary 2'']], the biggest ocean liner in the world. Durban has built a brand new R200 million cruise terminal that has been in operation since October 2019, the [[Durban Cruise Terminal]]. The tender was awarded to KwaZulu Cruise Terminal (Pty) Ltd, which is 70% owned by MSC Cruises SA and 30% by Africa Armada Consortium. The new cruise terminal will be able to accommodate two cruise ships at any given time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article2650355.ece|title=Times LIVE|website=www.timeslive.co.za|access-date=1 June 2017|archive-date=6 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206173410/https://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article2650355.ece/|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Naval Base Durban]] on [[Salisbury Island, Durban|Salisbury Island]] (now joined to the mainland and part of the Port of Durban), was established as a [[naval base]] during the [[Second World War]]. It was downgraded in 2002 to a naval station. In 2012 a decision was made to renovate and expand the facilities back up to a full naval base to accommodate the [[South African Navy]]'s [[offshore patrol vessel|offshore patrol]] flotilla.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23908:navy-may-upgrade-naval-station-durban-&catid=108:maritime-security&Itemid=233|title=Navy may upgrade Naval Station Durban|author=Leon Engelbrecht|work=defenceweb.co.za}}</ref> In December 2015 it was redesignated Naval Base Durban.<ref>{{cite news|first=Kim |last=Helfrich |url=http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41760:minister-says-its-naval-base-durban-not-station&catid=111:sa-defence&Itemid=242 |title=Minister says it's Naval Base Durban, not Station |publisher=defenceWeb |date=2015-12-09 |access-date=2015-12-09}}</ref> === Rail === Durban featured the first operating steam railway in South Africa when the [[Natal Railway Company]] started operating a line between the Point and the city of Durban in 1860.<ref name="Holland 1">Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, vol 1: 1859β1910, (D.F. Holland, 1971), p11, 20β21, {{ISBN|0-7153-5382-9}}</ref> [[Shosholoza Meyl]], the passenger rail service of [[Transnet Freight Rail|Spoornet]], operates two long-distance passenger rail services from Durban: a daily service to and from Johannesburg via [[Pietermaritzburg]] and [[Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal|Newcastle]], and a weekly service to and from Cape Town via [[Kimberley, Northern Cape|Kimberley]] and [[Bloemfontein]]. These trains terminate at [[Durban railway station]]. [[Metrorail KwaZulu-Natal|Metrorail]] operates a [[commuter rail]] service in Durban and the surrounding area. The Metrorail network runs from Durban Station outwards as far as [[KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal|Stanger]] on the north coast, [[Kelso, KwaZulu-Natal|Kelso]] on the south coast, and [[Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal|Cato Ridge]] inland. A [[Johannesburg-Durban High Speed Rail|high-speed rail link]] has been proposed, between Johannesburg and Durban.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/ambitious-plans-will-still-need-funding/browse/3.html |access-date=19 September 2010 |title=Railway Gazette: Ambitious plans will still need funding |archive-date=15 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615134927/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/ambitious-plans-will-still-need-funding/browse/3.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> === Roads === [[File:DurbanN3-aerial.jpg|thumb|N3 freeway on its approach to Durban's CBD, with N2βN3 [[stack interchange]] in the foreground]] The city's main position as a [[port of entry]] onto the southern African continent has led to the development of [[National Roads in South Africa|national roads]] around it. The [[N3 road (South Africa)|N3 Western Freeway]], which links Durban with the economic hinterland of [[Gauteng]], heads west out of the city. The [[Durban Outer Ring Road|N2 Outer Ring Road]] links Durban with the [[Eastern Cape]] to the south, and [[Mpumalanga]] in the north. The Western Freeway is particularly important because freight is shipped by truck to and from the [[Witwatersrand]] for transfer to the port. The N3 Western Freeway starts in the central business district and heads west under Tollgate Bridge and through the suburbs of Sherwood and Mayville. The [[EB Cloete Interchange]] (which is informally nicknamed the [[Spaghetti Junction]]) lies to the west of Durban and east of [[Westville, KwaZulu-Natal|Westville]], allowing for transfer of traffic between the N2 [[Durban Outer Ring Road|Outer Ring Road]] and the Western Freeway. The N2 Outer Ring Road cuts through the city from the [[KwaZulu-Natal North Coast|north coast]] to the [[South Coast (KwaZulu-Natal)|south coast]]. It provides a vital link to the coastal towns (such as [[Amanzimtoti]], [[Kingsburgh, KwaZulu-Natal|Kingsburgh]], [[Scottburgh]], [[Umkomaas|eMkhomazi]], [[Ballito]] and [[KwaDukuza]]) that rely on Durban. Durban also has a system of freeway and [[Dual carriageway|dual arterial]] [[Metropolitan Routes in Durban|metropolitan routes]], which connect the sprawling suburbs that lie to the north, west and south of the city. The [[M4 (Durban)|M4]] exists in two segments. The northern segment, named the Ruth First Highway, starts as an alternative highway from the [[R102 (South Africa)|R102]] in [[Ballito]] and shortly after intersects the N2. It passes through the seaside towns and villages of La Mercy and [[eMdloti]] before becoming a dual carriageway in [[UMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal|uMhlanga]], north of Durban and ending at the northern edge of the CBD. The southern segment of the M4, the [[Albert Lutuli]]<ref>[http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/services/services_news/red-tar-for-southern-freeway]{{dead link|date=March 2013}}</ref> Highway, starts at the southern edge of the CBD, connecting through to the old, decommissioned Durban International Airport, where it once again reconnects at the southern end of the N2 Outer Ring Road. The [[M7 (Durban)|M7]] connects the southern industrial basin of Durban with the N3 and [[Pinetown]] via [[Queensburgh]] via the N2. The [[M19 (Durban)|M19]] connects the inner northern suburbs of Durban with Pinetown via [[Westville, KwaZulu-Natal|Westville]] and the [[M41 (Durban)|M41]] connects [[Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal|uMhlanga]] and [[Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal|Phoenix]] via [[Mount Edgecombe]] and the N2. The [[M13 (Durban)|M13]] (King Cetshwayo Highway) is an untolled alternative to the N3 Western Freeway (which is tolled at Mariannhill) and is an important commuter route linking the nearby towns and suburbs to the west of Durban such as [[Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal|Hillcrest]], [[Gillitts]], [[Kloof]], Pinetown and Westville to the city. In the late 2000s 107 streets in Durban were renamed, typically to honour individuals involved in the antiapartheid or international revolutionary movements, with two-thirds of the streets named after individuals associated with the governing [[African National Congress]]. This was done in two stages; a first, smaller one, which renamed eighteen streets and was met with some trepidation by opposition parties, particularly the [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]], the [[Inkatha Freedom Party]], and the [[Minority Front]], and a second, larger stage, which renamed 99 streets and was met with considerably wider opposition after the controversy of the first and the minimal time between them.<ref>[http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/renaming/Final%20Listt-%20Street%20Naming2.xls]{{dead link|date=September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Independent Newspapers Online |url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/new-road-names-go-up-1.406687 |title=New road names go up β Politics | IOL News |work=Independent Online |location=South Africa |date=2 July 2008 |access-date=2011-09-16}}</ref> The first group was met with some opposition from This process was met with outrage from both opposition parties and the parts of the general public, as well as incidents of vandalism against the new road signs. The [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]], [[Inkatha Freedom Party]], and [[Minority Front]] were concerned with their lack of participation in the process, and that the emphasis on individuals affiliated with the ANC presented a partisan image of the antiapartheid struggle. Among the general public there was significant opposition from middle-class [[white South Africans]], [[Indian South Africans]], and [[Zulu nationalists]], who believed that the new names should have a connection to the people and the history of the locality. In response, the ANC characterized the project as a transformation and part of progressive social change, characterizing their opponents as being "antitransformation" and "pro-apartheid".<ref>{{cite book |first=James |last=Bainbridge |year=2009 |url=https://archive.org/details/southafricalesot0000bain |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/southafricalesot0000bain/page/302 302] |title=South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland |publisher=Lonely Planet |access-date=2011-09-16|isbn=9781742203751 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Wines |first=Michael |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/25/world/africa/25durban.html |title=Where the Road to Renaming Does Not Run Smooth |work=The New York Times |date=25 May 2007 |access-date=2011-09-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Duminy |first1=James |title=Street Renaming, Symbolic Capital, and Resistance in Durban, South Africa |journal=Environment and Planning D: Society and Space |date=April 2014 |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=310β328 |doi=10.1068/d2112 |s2cid=143940799 }}</ref> === Buses === Several companies run long-distance bus services from Durban to the other cities in South Africa. Buses have a long history in Durban. Most of them have been run by Indian owners since the early 1930s. Privately owned buses that are not subsidised by the government also service the communities. Buses operate in all areas of the eThekwini Municipality. Since 2003 buses have been violently taken out of the routes and bus ranks by taxi operators.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Durban city buses torched|url = http://mg.co.za/article/2008-10-03-durban-city-buses-torched|website = The M&G Online|access-date = 2016-02-17|author = Staff Reporter|date = 3 October 2008}}</ref> Durban was previously served by the [[Trolleybuses in Durban|Durban trolleybus system]], which first ran in 1935.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.fad.co.za/Resources/transport/transport.htm | title = Public Transport in Durban - a brief history | publisher = Facts about Durban | last = Allan Jackson | date = 2003 |access-date = 8 July 2017}}</ref> Since 2017, the newer People Mover Bus System that runs along certain routes has been testing out free [[Wi-Fi]] for passengers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/people-mover-passengers-get-free-wi-fi-11135485|title=People Mover passengers get free wi-fi {{!}} Daily News|website=www.iol.co.za|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21}}</ref> === Taxis === Durban has two kinds of taxis: [[taxicab|metered taxis]] and [[Share taxi|minibus taxi]]s. Unlike in many cities, metered taxis are not allowed to drive around the city to solicit fares and instead must be called and ordered to a specific location. A number of companies service the Durban and surrounding regions. These taxis can also be called upon for airport transfers, point to point pickups and shuttles. Mini bus taxis are the standard [[Mode of transport|form of transport]] for the majority of the population who cannot afford private cars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cape-town.org/directory.asp?McatId=8 |publisher=CapeTown.org |title=Transport |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128184051/http://www.cape-town.org/directory.asp?McatId=8 |archive-date=28 November 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go1566/is_200209/ai_n7215423|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203204842/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go1566/is_200209/ai_n7215423|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-02-03|title=South Africa's minibus wars: uncontrollable law-defying minibuses oust buses and trains from transit|publisher=LookSmart}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.c2es.org/global-warming-in-depth/all_reports/transportation_in_south_africa/trans_sa_execsumm.cfm|title=Transportation in Developing Countries: Greenhouse Gas Scenarios of south alabama|publisher=Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, formerly the Pew Center on Global Climate Change|access-date=8 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223234303/http://www.c2es.org/global-warming-in-depth/all_reports/transportation_in_south_africa/trans_sa_execsumm.cfm|archive-date=23 February 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> With the high demand for transport by the working class of South Africa, minibus taxis are often filled over their legal passenger allowance, making for high casualty rates when they are involved in accidents. Minibuses are generally owned and operated in fleets, and inter-operator violence flares up from time to time, especially as [[Taxi wars in South Africa|turf wars]] over lucrative taxi routes occur.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aworldconnected.org/article.php/1341.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060825221354/http://www.aworldconnected.org/article.php/1341.html|archive-date=25 August 2006|title=Taxing Alternatives: Poverty Alleviation and the South African Taxi/Minibus Industry|publisher=Enterprise Africa! Research Publications}}</ref> Ride sharing apps [[Uber]] and [[Taxify]] have been launched in Durban and are also used by commuters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://compareguru.co.za/news/uber-taxify-taxi-service-better/|title=Uber Vs Taxify: Which Taxi Service Is Better?|website=CompareGuru|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21}}</ref> === Rickshaws === Although [[rickshaw]]s have been a mode of transportation since the early 1900s, they have been displaced by other forms of motorised transport. The roughly 25 remaining rickshaws mostly cater to tourists.<ref>{{cite web|editor=Fiona Wayman, Neville Grimmet and Angela Spencer |url=http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/discover/history/our-town/rickshaws |title=Zulu Rickshaws |publisher=Durban.gov.za |access-date=2 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100519145024/http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/discover/history/our-town/rickshaws <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=19 May 2010}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page