Cape Town - Plans to delay the introduction of additional temporary MyCiTi bus stops have raised the ire of the Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF), which accused the City of overreacting to unrelated volatility in the area.
Speaking to the Cape Argus just days after it announced plans for additional temporary stops in Khayelitsha, Atlantis and Woodstock, urban mobility Mayco member Rob Quintas said there were some delays in Khayelitsha due to protests.
The municipality planned to add five temporary stops to the network, of which two would be in Khayelitsha, two in Atlantis, and one in Woodstock.
However, KDF chairperson Ndithini Tyhido said the protests had been minor and linked to a dispute between workers and their employer.
“We can confirm that these protests were not linked to MyCiTi but instead it was about a dispute between one of the cleaning service contractors and the workers over late or non-payment.
“I don’t think this was a reason to hold out on the rollout of the new stops and we are sure the City will have them up soon,” said Quintas.
“Sometimes the City sees a small thing, if someone lights a zol, and they think it’s a protest or worry about an area being volatile.
“The stops and extra trips are needed by our community, so we hope they get on with it and stop making excuses.”
The bus service has also added additional weekday trips to the D01 and D02 routes connecting Khayelitsha with the Cape Town city centre.
“I am very pleased about these additions to the MyCiTi network,” said Quintas.
“It provides residents with better access to this reliable and affordable bus service, with stops close to schools and commercial areas.
“This is another example of how the MyCiTi network is aligned with, and has responded to, the needs of the communities we serve.
“One of the new Atlantis stops will provide safer access to a local primary school.
“In Woodstock, a new stop will be added next to an existing public transport stop, allowing for smoother transfers between other public transport services and MyCiTi.
“Furthermore, commuters are to note that the D01 and D02 routes connecting Khayelitsha with the Cape Town city centre will operate additional weekday trips.”
Speaking on the delays, Quintas said: “The rollout of the much-anticipated temporary MyCiTi stops in Khayelitsha has experienced some minor delays due to recent volatility in the area, which was unrelated to MyCiTi.
“This is yet another sad example of how protests and public violence affect the delivery of services to communities who need them most.”
A week ago, Quintas, along with Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, visited the construction site along New Way where workers were completing the multi-billion rand bus depot to extend the MyCiTi service along various suburbs across the Mother City.
The construction site had come under attack by alleged extortionists and work on the site was temporarily delayed last year.
The site, which is set to hold over 200 buses, refuelling stations, administrative offices, a training academy and other facilities, was 65% complete.
Quintas said work on the site was halted mid-last year when local subcontractors and others disrupted the site and intimidated workers.
He said the project was officially on track to be completed by May 2025, and construction was initially delayed by several weeks due to extortion attempts, but the lost time was made up by the contractor working extended hours and on weekends.