Cape Town - The gloves are off between the ANC and the DA in the Western Cape - this time over the public consultation process regarding the proposed Lansdowne/Wetton Corridor of Phase 2A of the MyCiTi service.
The City of Cape Town says it’s “confident” that the spread of 29 public open days - which starts on Friday in Ottery - will accommodate all residents affected by the proposed roll-out. Meetings have been scheduled from now until the end of next month at various locations.
But the ANC’s Cameron Dugmore has taken the city to task for not holding any of these meetings in Plumstead and Wynberg, where aggrieved residents have been vehemently opposed to the proposed route.
“This despite the fact that the proposed route, if implemented, will cut through these communities impacting on families, schools, churches, mosques and early childhood development centres,” he said.
In response to questions about the choice of venues for the meeting, Brett Herron, mayoral committee member for Transport for Cape Town, repeated the explanation he provided during a meeting of the Western Cape Government’s standing committee on transport and public works.
He said the open days for Wynberg and Plumstead residents would take place at either the Alphen Centre in Constantia or the Claremont Civic Centre. Wynberg falls under Subcouncil 20, which meets at the Alphen Centre.
“Dugmore was either asleep while I provided the explanation to the committee members, or he is willfully distorting the truth to fit the ANC’s agenda.”
Dugmore lashed out in his statement, saying the city was treating the Wynberg residents with contempt: “If the proposed route was to cause disruption to Constantia, rest assured that the red carpet would have been rolled out.”
Meanwhile the South Road Families’ Association, representing the 26 families who stand to be evicted so that their homes can be demolished for the proposed MyCiTi route, have accused Herron of lying to the standing committee and of confusing those present about the alternative routes that have been put forward by the association and the Wynberg Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association.
Clive Muller, of the South Road Families’ Association, said Herron created the impression that the alternative was a “criss-cross” route and that the Rosmead alternative would mean that more homes would have to be expropriated and demolished.
“Never at any stage has the South Road Family Association proposed a route that has the potential for homes to be destroyed to make way for a bus route. We feel that the mayoral committee member wishes to divide our community, and by sending such a message of confusion, he aims to weaken our resolve.”
Muller added that both associations, as well as the transport sectors of both the east and west of Wynberg, supported the proposed alternative routes.
Herron said Muller’s comments that he had misled the committee were defamatory. He said the city had considered all alternative routes but that the roads proposed would not allow for good operational speeds for the buses.
South Road, as a Class 2 road, allowed for wide intersection spacing with no direct access from the properties on the road. The alternative roads proposed would not be suitable for a trunk route, and would require significant changes, he said.
Up to 27 privately-owned properties would have to be expropriated and demolished if the city accepted the alternative proposal along Rosmead Avenue.
“The city has already been contacted by residents who live along these proposed alternative routes, saying that they are opposed to the alternative routes.”
Cape Argus