MyCiTi bus stops in Khayelitsha see the light
2017-10-09
The City of Cape Town’s Transport and Urban Development Authority has commenced with the electrification of the permanent MyCiTi bus stops along the N2 Express routes in Khayelitsha.
The MyCiTi N2 Express routes between Khayelitsha and the Civic Centre in the Cape Town central business district have become increasingly popular since the introduction of the first route in Khayelitsha East in July 2014 and the launch of the Khayelitsha West route in September 2015.
‘All in all, there are 35 permanent MyCiTi bus stops along these routes, 31 of which will be provided with lighting. Seeing that Khayelitsha falls within an Eskom supply area, the City had to wait for Eskom to provide us with the necessary electricity points so that we could install lighting. This has finally happened and the City has now commenced with the installation of the infrastructure for the lighting for the bus shelters,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, Councillor Brett Herron.
The City is spending approximately R2,6 million on this project, which should be completed by the end of the year if all goes as planned.
‘Nearly 115 000 passengers travel along the N2 Express routes between Khayelitsha and the Civic Centre each month. Our records show that on average, 3 700 commuters board the MyCiTi buses in the morning peak-hour period on weekdays. These routes are very popular and we are working hard to continually improve the service,’ said Councillor Herron.
‘Some of these commuters – among them mothers on their way to work and learners going to school – wait for the MyCiTi buses long before sunrise. This project is very important because once fitted with lights, the commuters will no longer have to wait in a dark bus shelter for the bus to arrive. Lighting in the bus shelters will make a huge difference to the commuters’ experience of the MyCiTi service and to their personal safety in general,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Area East, Councillor Anda Ntsodo.
Each bus shelter is fitted with three lights.
‘There is one light fitting for the feeder route map so that commuters can see the departure and arrival times of the buses, another for the advertising box, and a third external totem light to light up the stop location,’ said Councillor Herron.
Special care was taken to ensure that the imminent installations are as theft- and vandal-proof as possible.
‘The vandalism of MyCiTi infrastructure is common across the city. I am appealing to the local community and MyCiTi commuters to please report theft and vandalism of our infrastructure. It is very costly and time-consuming to replace infrastructure. My biggest concern, however, is about the impact that these crimes have on vulnerable commuters – in particular women and children – who make use of the service at night or in the early morning hours,’ said Councillor Herron.
‘The City has identified 11 transformational priorities for this term of office, key among them being promoting excellence in service delivery and creating safe communities. Our new Organisational Development and Transformation Plan focuses on achieving these outcomes and this project will contribute significantly to this. We need the local community of Khayelitsha to support us and to also take ownership of the MyCiTi infrastructure by reporting theft and vandalism to the local police,’ said Councillor Ntsodo.
