MyCiTi buses started operating in Walmer Estate and Salt River, on Saturday 2 March 2013 after the Provincial Regulating Entity (PRE) granted the vehicle operators their licences on Saturday morning. This was in line with the City’s commitment to commencing this service as soon as the licences were granted.
“It was a very exciting morning for the MyCiTi project team as we have been waiting for these permits since last year when we first applied for them. I have to admit to being a bit emotional when those new 9m buses rolling through District Six and Woodstock. It was a symbol for me that we are taking the next steps to expanding this quality public transport service to all Capetonians, in line with our commitment to undo the legacy of Apartheid spatial planning in the City and building an Inclusive City that we all feel welcome in and can harness the opportunities available to us, using MyCiTi to look for jobs or travel to work, meet friends and explore our city,” said Councillor Brett Herron Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Roads and Stormwater.
The Provincial Operating Licensing Board granted its approval at approximately 09:00 on Saturday morning to the vehicle operating companies that are to operate the new 9m MyCiTi buses on this route and the City issued the operators with an instruction to start operating the buses by 14:00 on Saturday. This approval was due for consideration at the end of 2012, but was delayed due to objections from existing public transport operators in the industry.
“As I have said in the past I have respected the process that MyCiTi must follow to be granted the necessary licences and the rights of the industry to raise objections. But I have been simultaneously frustrated as we are trying to build a new public transport culture in Cape Town with the existing public transport industry as partners, but with commuters at the heart of our service’s goals. I have found the industry’s objections difficult to comprehend as we have shown in the first phase of MyCiTi that we are committed to making directly affected public transport operators our partners,” continued Councillor Herron.
The service will travel to the Salt River rail station, past the Salt River Circle, along Roodebloem Road, through Zonnebloem and past the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. It will then pass the Castle, the Grand Parade and the central rail station en route to the Civic Centre station, where it will link up with the existing MyCiTi routes, before returning on the same route to the Salt River rail station. Rail connections from across the city converge at the Salt River station, which means that the MyCiTi connection here services even more rail passengers from across Cape Town.
A trip on residential routes, such as those through Salt River, Walmer Estate and Woodstock, costs R5,30, and a trip on the main route between Civic Centre station and Table View costs R10,60. The shorter, R5,30 trips are free when travelled in conjunction with the main route. The service operates every 20 minutes in peak travel periods and every 30 minutes in off-peak periods.
Passengers need to get a myconnect card for R23 to travel on the service. In the launch phase of the service, MyCiTi staff will be on the buses selling myconnect cards that will give passengers a free trip to the Civic Centre station where they can load more money on their card for further travel on the MyCiTi service.
The service will see the first use of MyCiTi’s new fleet of smaller buses, ideally suited to mixed traffic and narrow roads, such as in the Woodstock and District Six. These low-floor buses ensure easy access for all, including the elderly, wheelchair users and those with luggage and prams. They accommodate 25 passengers seated, 25 standing and include space for wheelchairs and bicycles.
With this service now operating, the city will be looking at when it can launch the MyCiTi Gardens station, introduce the new 9m vehicles on other residential feeder routes, thus freeing up our 12m and 18m buses to operate on our main routes, and how we can continue the service’s expansion across Cape Town.
Members of the public with questions about the service can call the Transport Management Centre on 0800 65 64 63, visit the MyCiTi website at www.myciti.org.za, e-mail myciti@capetown.gov.za or follow MyCiTi on Twitter @MyCiTiBus.
