New MyCiTi routes and a rail corridor, expected to cater for five times the number of current passengers, have been identified and prioritised across the metro.
The National Treasury has allocated R1.4 billion and R1.6 bn respectively for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 financial years to the City for the provision of public transport infrastructure. At a recent council meeting, the Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) prioritised the roll-out of five new MyCiTi corridor routes, expected to be completed by 2032.
They are Wynberg and Khayelitsha; Mitchells Plain and Claremont; Khayelitsha and Century City; Klipfontein Road corridor connecting Mitchells Plain and the CBD; and Symphony Way corridor connecting Mitchells Plain and Durbanville.
In addition to this, the Blue Downs rail corridor – a rail link of about 9km between Nolungile station in Khayelitsha and the Kuils River station, with three new stations in between, including Mfuleni, Blue Downs and Wimbledon – will be designed and built by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), Mayco member for transport and urban development Brett Herron said.
The IPTN plan also includes other modes of public transport like new rail corridors, park-and-ride facilities at railway stations and the upgrading of existing public transport interchanges.
Herron said the prioritisation was in line with the City’s Organisational Development and Transformation Plan (ODTP) - launched by Mayor Patricia de Lille to reverse the legacy of apartheid spatial planning, modernise government, improve service delivery and become more customer-centric.
“We want to have the five new MyCiTi corridors fully operational by 2032. This may sound far off, but the scale and reach of these routes is significantly bigger in comparison with the existing MyCiTi network.
“In fact, the five new corridors will serve at least five times the passengers that
are currently travelling on the existing MyCiTi routes. It will connect some of the most disadvantaged communities to five major destinations – the Cape Town CBD, Bellville, Claremont, Wynberg and Century City,” Herron said.
Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Janine Myburgh said that although the chamber was encouraged by the focus areas, 15 years was a long time to wait.
Constrained mobility was an increasing problem in Cape Town, compounded by traffic congestion, a poor rail service and a spatial planning legacy that disadvantaged many people, she said.
“Coupled with the high cost of travel, we have employees that are further taxed by either sitting in traffic or struggling to find an efficient and cost-effective means of transport to get to work.
‘‘This indirectly affects productivity and… our economic output.
“With advances in technology and construction methodologies we would urge the city to be more aggressive with the timeline so that we can solve what is today a major problem for our workforce. Cape Town is certainly a beautiful city, but for many commuters, the struggle and cost of commuting is anything but a pretty sight,” Myburgh said.
Mitchells Plain real estate agent Berleen Lawrence said the expected additional routes would benefit residents tremendously and add to the area’s attractiveness and development.
Herron said another five MyCiTi trunk routes were planned after 2032.
These were between Strandfontein and the Cape Town CBD; Westlake and Bellville; Eerste River and Blouberg; Kraaifontein and Century City; and Gordon’s Bay and Retreat.