Cape ANC lobbies to stall MyCiTi expansion

Despite opposition from taxi drivers and some residents, however, Cape Town is forging ahead with plans to expand the service to the Lansdowne/Wetton Road corridor, which includes Wynberg Main Road and South Road, as part of its second phase, at an estimated cost of R1.4bn.

The city is to hold public engagements with residents and stakeholders in coming weeks.

ANC Western Cape transport and public works spokesman Cameron Dugmore said on Thursday, 21 May, the City of Cape Town had not included a public information session in Wynberg and Plumstead in the 29 planned engagements announced this week.

"This is despite the fact that the proposed route, if implemented, will cut through these communities, impacting on families, schools, churches and mosques," he said.

The ANC had proposed a moratorium on evictions in South Road, he said.

"We will continue lobbying national government to withhold all funding for MyCiTi phase two until our calls for genuine consultation have been met "¦ Wynberg and Plumstead residents must be heard," Dugmore said.

Cape Town mayoral committee member for transport Brett Herron said Dugmore's claims were dishonest and "punctuated with untruths".

Communities in Wynberg and Plumstead would not be excluded from public engagements and their proposals would be taken into account on the final locations for MyCiTi stations and stops, Herron said.

Residents whose council-owned homes in Plumstead and Wynberg would be flattened to make way for the construction of bus stops and trunk routes lodged a High Court application to halt the plans.

Although Cape Town's integrated rapid transit system was created to improve bus services, it has been plagued by problems much like Johannesburg's Rea Vaya.

Operators such as Golden Arrow have challenged MyCiTi's roll-out in some areas, while taxi drivers in Wynberg said the expansion plan was bound to fail.

Taxi drivers claimed they were not consulted.

Source: Business Day