MyCiTi to receive over R600million for expansion

National Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced a R621 million grant to expand the MyCiTi bus network. Picture Armand Hough/African News Agency/ANA

National Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced a R621 million grant to expand the MyCiTi bus network. Picture Armand Hough/African News Agency/ANA

Published May 19, 2022

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The City of Cape Town will receive R621million for the next phase of the MyCiTi roll-out from the national government.

Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula made the announcement when tabling his department's budget vote in Parliament on Thursday.

Phase 2A of the MyCiTi transport network will link Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain to Claremont and Wynberg.

The City announced earlier that it would spend billions of rands on phase 2A.

The announcement comes just months after MyCiti’s N2 Express route, that serviced Mitchell’s Plain and Khayelitsha, reopened after it was closed for nearly three years over disputes on service agreements.

Mbalula also reiterated earlier statements that the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) was expected to restore and resume operations on the Central Line by December.

The Central Line, which serviced poor communities including Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Nyanga and Bonteheuwel was suspended in 2018.

Mbalula said work on the line, was being undertaken in two phases. Phase 1 entailed restoring services on the Cape Town to Bellville (via Sarepta) and Langa to Pinelands and Langa to Nyanga segments.

"We anticipate the completion of the rehabilitation works and resumption of services by the end of July for this phase," said Mbalula.

He said services between Cape Town and Langa via Mutual were currently operational, while Cape Town to Langa via Pinelands were 90% ready.   "We must also appreciate that the Langa to Bellville via Sarepta is currently affected by illegal occupation on the line and extensive infrastructure damage," said Mbalula

He added work was also underway to recover the services between Langa and Nyanga as well as Cape Town to Nyanga, as part of the phase 1 of the recovery programme.

Mbalula said phase 2 would see the recovery of the Nyanga to Chris Hani segment as well as Nyanga to Kapteinsklip.

"These segments will take longer to recover due to the extent of the damage on the infrastructure. We anticipate completing this recovery and resume services by December," he said.

During a recent visit to Cape Town, Mbalula said it would cost R2.1 billion to fully repair the line.

PRASA, rocked by allegations of financial mismanagement, would receive an increase from R12.6 billion in 2022/23 to R13.5 billion in 2024/25.

Mbalula said the funds would be used for refurbishment of coaches, rolling stock fleet renewal programme, signalling and other capital projects which included security of the rail infrastructure.

The operational funding was also expected to increase from R7.2b in 2022/23 to R7.8b in 2024/25.

"Our rail infrastructure is in a major state of disrepair because of theft and vandalism.

"We have called for the ban of scrap metal exports which provide a perverse incentive for this criminality," said Mbalula.

Meanwhile the City of Cape Town’s feasibility study into the possibility of the City taking over rail operations is expected to begin on July 1.