City transport officials are to meet their national counterparts soon in a bid to discuss the future of the embattled N2 MyCiTi Express service.
The service ground to a halt in June after the city failed to renew the contract with service operators, taxi associations Codeta for Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain’s Route Six and Golden Arrow Bus Services - leaving more than 600000 passengers with limited public transport options.
Mayoral committee member for transport Felicity Purchase said the outcome of the meeting would
determine the continuation of the service.
But Codeta said the matter would be heard in the Western Cape High Court in March next year and that nothing would “happen” regarding the service until then - unless there was an “appropriate” intervention by the national Transport Ministry.
Codeta has expressed its desire to run the service as a stand alone vehicle operator as it had been planning for.
In court papers Codeta accused Golden Arrow of holding a monopoly on the N2 Express value chain and showing disregard for contractual arrangements.
Former mayoral committee member for transport Brett Herron, who
was instrumental in the establishment of the N2 Express service,
earlier appealed to roleplayers to resolve the impasse.
He said the collapse of the service had a direct impact on the affected commuters, businesses and traffic on the roads.
With constant attacks and vandalism on buses and the recent suspension of the Metrorail Central line, most commuters were now left with limited public transport options.