Unlike many other South African cities, Cape Town has a relatively developed public transport infrastructure. Well it did 30 years ago. In the intervening years rapid growth has outstripped investment in providing transport and today the city has only what officials describe as a commuting public transport facility, which is crippled by peak demand and by years of neglect.
Trains and stations have become rundown and unsafe, buses are noisy, dirty and few and far between, minibus taxis travel great distances to the city and the two main arteries into the city are clogged in peak-hour traffic, especially as the city centre is hedged between the sea and mountains.
Something needs to be done.
Enter the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Across the country, hosting this tournament is seen as a golden opportunity to spruce up infrastructure through massive public sector investment, which in turn is providing jobs, boosting the economy and ensuring that South Africa post-2010 will be a better place for all.
This fix-it-all solution is no more apparent than in the greatest legacy benefit 2010 promises for Cape Town — fixing the state of the city’s public transport.
Despite political differences, Cape Town city is working with the provincial government of the Western Cape, as well as national government and the SA Rail Commuter Corporation/Metrorail, to tackle public transport. The focus is beyond 2010 because not all the plans will be able to be implemented in less than three years.
‘We believe all our citizens and visitors in Cape Town deserve safe, integrated, affordable, frequent, seamless journeys with universal access from their residences, origins and destinations,” says Cape Town’s transport director Maddie Mazaza. ‘2010 is seen as a catalyst for implementing our transport plan objectives in the short, medium and long term. Our theme is ‘How to achieve sustainable mobility for 2010 and beyond’.”
The 2020 Transport Plan (see box) is based on previous plans and is aligned with the city’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP). It aims to ensure that a more robust transport system is in operation by 2010 and that, through the implementation of the rapid public transport network, Cape Town will have a safe, frequent, accessible and affordable public transport system by 2020, says Mazaza.
The action plan has been divided into three phases: 2007 to 2010, 2010 to 2014 and 2014 to 2020. Projects already under way in the first phase include the N2 bus lane, cycle lanes, major road upgrades, improvements to rail rolling stock and security on trains and plans for intelligent transport services, such as a freeway management system and transport operations management centre.
The N2 bus and minibus lane has been hailed a success. ‘We are pleased with the outcome and the difference in travel time for public transport users so far,” says Mazaza. ‘The technology and enforcement strategy is working well.”
Other public transport initiatives under way include extending the Khayelitsha rail line and the recent introduction of the Khayelitsha Express — a luxury train aimed at business people, serving five stations on the Khayelitsha-Cape Town route and cutting the journey by 40 minutes. The R300 monthly ticket includes features such as complimentary coffee, newspapers and laptop connections.
A rail link between the airport and city is unlikely to be completed before 2010, but is receiving serious attention. ‘It is still in the feasibility and planning phase. We will have to wait for a report on the outcome of the investigation,” says Mazaza. A luxury airport bus will be in place before 2010. A rail service and new station for Century City is in the planning stage.
While the Cape Town is focusing on city transport, specifically for 2010, the provincial government of the Western Cape is looking at the wider picture. During the World Cup Cape Town will not be able to accommodate all the spectators, meaning that overflow visitors will stay in outlying towns and will need transport into the city for the event.
‘This is what drove our thinking for the transport plan,” says Denis Lillie, the province’s 2010 project director. ‘The purpose of the plan is legacy, improving the transport network for the province. The rail network, airport and road-based transport will all be connected.” He says there are plans to improve the road infrastructure and public transport along the whole Garden Route.
‘There is a fine line between event management and making sure that what you are planning becomes legacy. This is a significant investment for government, but the pay-offs in terms of increased tourism and the fact that these upgrades were needed make it worthwhile.”
The province’s planning for 2010 is looking at bus terminals, routings, timetables, getting 350 new buses, training 3 000 new train drivers and organising all the related support services, such as mechanics. ‘It’s all quite complex, but it fits in nicely with the national strategy,” says Lillie.
Officials are optimistic that a real difference will be felt well before 2010. ‘Our public transport has suffered years of neglect through lack of maintenance and investment. This plan is going to help avert that decline and will set a platform on which we can improve,” says the city’s 2010 transport manager, Ron Kingma.