MyCiTi buses geared for cooler ride

The air conditioning units are fitted to the 9-metre feeder buses that operate along the routes in the city bowl, which is renowned for its extreme heat conditions during the summer months of January, February and March. To date, two air conditioning units have already been fitted to buses operating on the inner-city routes and another 14 units will be installed over the next 14 weeks.

‘During the previous summer, some of the MyCiTi commuters complained about the warm conditions on our buses. Transport for Cape Town (TCT) has taken note of these grievances and came up with a solution as we are always striving to improve the MyCiTi service and to meet the expectations of our residents. We are convinced that this summer the commuters will feel the difference,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, Councillor Brett Herron.

Some modifications to the buses are required to accommodate the air conditioning units and the bus will be out of service for a week during installation.

‘The effectiveness of the 16 air conditioning units will be monitored in the inner-city environment this summer, given that the 9-metre buses have two doors that have to be opened at regular intervals at the stops and stations that are not far apart on the inner-city routes. The outcome of this monitoring will determine whether all of the inner-city buses should be fitted with air conditioning units in future,’ said Councillor Herron.

Also, to date, 80 forced ventilation units or high-powered fans have been fitted to the 9-metre feeder buses operating on the feeder routes across the city. These units draw in ambient air at a rate of 2 000 cubic metres per hour, thus the volume of air entering the bus from outside is sufficient to replace the air inside the passenger cabin in less than two minutes.

These units are suitable in conditions where buses can move more freely than in the inner-city and where they can contribute to the natural ventilation provided by the air flow through the open windows.

All of the new buses, such as those that are being used on the N2 Express service between Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain and the Civic Centre station in the central business district, are fitted with fans already.

‘We are convinced that these changes will contribute significantly to our commuters’ travel experience on the MyCiTi service,’ said Councillor Herron.