City to launch Transport Authority in October 2012

The City of Cape Town’s Transport, Roads and Stormwater Portfolio Committee recently considered the Directorate’s Transformation and Action Plan. One of the key elements of the Plan is the establishment of the City of Cape Town’s Transport Authority, which is the next critical step towards achieving sustainable, integrated and efficient public transport across the metropolitan area.

The City views transport as the leading dynamic that will bring about change across Cape Town. It will help realize an Inclusive, Well-Run, Safe and Opportunity City and the Transport Authority will be the structure that gives effect to this.  The City intends to launch its Transport Authority in October 2012, in order to have a strong entity that is able to manage a number of transport-related functions, some of which will be devolved to the municipality within the coming year.  It will be fully functional by July 2013.

The City’s main aim for its Transport Authority, which follows examples of London, Paris, Hong Kong and Curitiba, is to be commuter-based with access to a fully integrated and well maintained road and rail network, with a premium, reliable, cost effective and streamlined public transport service.

Councillor Brett Herron, Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Roads and Stormwater explained that “there are four main steps that will be taken by the City in establishing its Transport Authority, namely:

1.   The Transport Authority, being an administrative, planning, regulating, contracting and monitoring municipal entity, will spearhead the full rollout of integrated road and rail-based public transport across Cape Town.  It will set the operational, technical and mobility standards of the road and rail network, as well as how the modes of transport work together for the benefit of commuters in the City. One timetable and one ticket for all public transport will be the first priority of the Transport Authority, under a single brand.

2.   The second initial focus for the TA is bringing into its jurisdiction the management of subsidized bus contracts (such as Golden Arrow and Sibanye), which we hope to achieve by the middle of 2013. The Transport Authority will be responsible for the management and monitoring of all public transport operators under one umbrella.  This will include the current MyCiTi operators as well as GABS and Sibanye, and ultimately depending on the outcome of a due diligence exercise, Metrorail.

3.   The City will also be applying for the regulating function, which involves the management of operating licences including those for minibus taxis, next year.  This function is considered critical to achieving a sustainable, safe and well managed public transport service. The City aims in the coming months to extensively engage with all registered operators, with specific reference to the minibus taxi industry.

4.   One of the most critical segments of an integrated public transport system is rail, which is considered to be the backbone to the public transport network. Investigations are underway in the City to determine how to firstly input to the rail rejuvenation process and secondly to determine what the City’s role will be moving forward.  The background studies and due diligence investigations have already started, and the City will also engage formal discussions with the Transport Ministry to get the assignment of greater authority transferred to it.”

The City cannot, however, bring about this change on its own, and we are collaborating with our partners at the National Department of Transport, Treasury, and the Provincial Government, providing valuable design assistance and guidance, and funding to Cape Town.  Further, in establishing the TA, we also need stakeholders in the transport industry – minibus taxi operators, commuter rail, scheduled bus services, commuters, business and labour – to be part of our efforts, as our partners,” said Herron.

A series of public meetings will also be arranged across the City, for the public and relevant transport stakeholders, to give its inputs on the various functions and processes that the Transport Authority will be responsible for, as detailed, with the focus being on supporting and promoting the use of sustainable, integrated, efficient and effective rail and road-based public transport for the benefit of all commuters in Cape Town.

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Issued by: Communication Department, City of Cape Town

Media enquiries: Councillor Brett Herron, Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Roads and Stormwater, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 1298 or Cell: 082 518 3264, E-mail: brett.herron@capetown.gov.za