A single Cape Town transport network will be rolled out within the next five years, a council official said.
|||Cape Town - A single Cape Town transport network will be rolled out within the next five years, a council official said on Thursday.
Buses would be the first to fall under the control of the newly-launched “Transport for Cape Town” authority, followed by minibus taxis and then trains, transport mayoral committee member Brett Herron told Sapa.
These processes would take place in phases until the full roll-out within four to five years.
It was envisaged that the network would be within 500m of nearly every home.
A commuter would be able to travel on all three modes of transport with one card, regardless of operators.
There would be one transport timetable and integrated fares.
He said city dwellers would need to buy a smart card, but those who could not afford it would pay a lower fee.
The authority was launched with much fanfare on Thursday in the Cape Town city hall.
Speaking on the sideline of the launch, Transport Minister Ben Martins said other provinces could soon get an integrated transport network.
“The purpose is always to take that practice throughout the country. So we are starting here today (Thursday), we'll learn many important lessons from this endeavour and as we refine the system, we'll take it to other provinces.”
Western Cape transport MEC Robin Carlisle said the Cape Town transport network would tackle spatial and racial divides.
“Nothing can bridge the apartheid barriers of this city faster than an integrated transport network.”
According to Carlisle, around two million people in the province used some form of public transport every day.
Over half used trains, about 30 percent took taxis and the remainder travelled by bus.
Martins announced in his speech that the bus rapid transport system, as seen in Cape Town and Johannesburg, would be taken to about 12 other cities.
He did not divulge which cities would benefit. - Sapa