Cape Town upgrades Nomzamo taxi rank

"The city's transport authority came up with a new design focused on providing the residents of Nomzamo with a dignified space where they can board taxis and socialise," said the city's Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Brett Herron.

Since the opening of the new taxi rank on 17 August 2015, at least 115 minibus taxis have been operating from this facility opposite the local community hall just off Michael Street, transporting more than 20,000 local residents to destinations in Somerset West, Gordon's Bay, Heldervue, Strand and Stellenbosch each week.

Protection for commuters

Overhead canopies have been provided at the loading areas, as well as the pedestrian walkways, providing commuters with protection against the sun and rain. Low walls and bollards under the trees can be used for seating and there are a number of refuse bins to discourage littering.

Apart from an administration building with a boardroom for meetings, the facility is also equipped with a security tower that has an unobstructed view of the taxi rank, adjacent soccer kick-about fields, and pedestrian avenue in front of the community centre. The manager's office has a staff toilet and kitchen, and commuters have access to four male and female toilets, as well as a toilet for those with special needs.

'A wash bay, accommodating two minibus-taxis at a time, has been constructed. It is fitted with an overhead canopy and metered water supply, as well as an underground oil separator, preventing oil and grease from entering the sewer system. This is a great business opportunity for a local entrepreneur who wishes to operate from the facility,' said Herron.

Kiosks for traders

Six kiosks were constructed for local traders and entrepreneurs wishing to cook and sell food. Each kiosk has been provided with water, wash basins, fat traps, and an extractor. The water and electricity costs will be recovered from the traders as each kiosk is also separately metered.

"We started with construction of the Nomzamo taxi rank in May last year and to date we have spent nearly R12m. Following on from our first ever green taxi rank in Wallacedene, Nomzamo's taxi rank also uses a rooftop solar photovoltaic panel system for electricity generation. There are 68 solar panels on the roof, arrayed at optimum orientation to the sun," Herron explained.

"The solar panels provide sufficient electricity for the office building and 16% of the entire facility's electricity during the peak periods, inclusive of the trading kiosks. As is the case in Wallacedene, the taxi rank in Nomzamo will soon be equipped with batteries for the storage of reserve solar electricity to be used at night or on cloudy days, ensuring it can operate completely off the electricity grid," said Herron.