On 5 July 2014, Transport for Cape Town probably initiated the most difficult route(s) it will ever launch on its bus rapid transport system. These two routes extends the award winning MyCiTi BRT system to Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plain where it would play an interim role to ‘top up’ public transport services to these areas. The City has started these routes to provide alternatives for the ailing rail services, until new rail fleet arrives for the local urban rail service, Metrorail.
Planning for these routes have started since the initiation of the whole MyCiTi BRT project before the World Cup in 2010. Difficulties such as funding, contracts between current bus operators and long initial resistance from the mini-bus taxi sector delayed the start of these routes. Nonetheless, the Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plain MyCiTi project, still having stops and stations being completed, will be the first routes to have the newer and better low-floor Trunk buses.
The new low-floor MyCiTi Trunk buses.
This is in comparison to the high-floor Trunk buses used on the West Coast (Atlantis and Table View) MyCiTi Trunk routes.
Benefits of the low-floor Trunk buses include:
- Station would be easier to access as disabled person, mother with pram, etc.
- Stations are cheaper and quicker to build as well as have compatibility between feeder buses.
A high-floor MyCiTi Trunk bus.