Cape Town - Council will at the end of the month decide whether or not to accept an agreement with the Dutch government to fund road construction.
The city council must decide on an offer of a R300million funding grant over the next five to 10 years.
It is part of the bigger Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) Phase 2A
project footprint which consists of the construction, operation and maintenance of public transport infrastructure in Khayelitsha and Nyanga,
and the transportation of people between these areas and neighbouring areas, including Wynberg and
Claremont.
Talks between the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the city council started in 2011.
Council had noted the intention to apply for grant co-funding from the Dutch government and in June 2012 a funding application was submitted, evaluated and selected by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
From last year, negotiations took place to address the conditions of the grant approval which has now led to an agreement between the negotiating parties.
Mayoral committee member for transport Felicity Purchase said: “Should the city sign the agreement, the R300m grant funding will be spent on the construction of new trunk routes and feeder routes for the MyCiTi buses, as well as bus stops and stations, and a bus depot in Khayelitsha that forms part of the roll out of Phase 2A of the MyCiTi service between Khayelitsha and Wynberg and Claremont - given the MyCiTi service will be connecting commuters with other modes of transport ”
Purchase said they were confident that they would be able to spend the money in the allocated time should council give the go-ahead at the end of the month.