The City of Cape Town is inviting public comment on the 2009 revision of its five year Integrated Transport Plan (ITP) which forms part of its overarching development plan for Cape Town, the Integrated Development Plan.

“The ITP is the City’s strategic plan which informs the management and development of our transport system” says Councillor Elizabeth Thompson, Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Roads and Stormwater. “It ensures that the planning, maintenance and improvement of transport services and infrastructure takes place in a co-ordinated way to best serve the needs of our people” she says.

The plan sets out the vision for transport in Cape Town and includes a set of principles to guide decision-making. It covers all forms of public and private transport and addresses specific issues such as the growing demand for transport services, the condition of the transport network and its infrastructure, and proposes action plans and budgets for particular projects over a ten year period.

The 2009 annual review is important as it responds to changing needs and concerns and measures Cape Town’s transport system against benchmarks from around the world. It includes a transport needs assessment, provides a status quo report of the entire transport system, and details overarching and sectoral strategies and a funding framework. The vision is ‘to provide a world-class sustainable transport system that moves all its people, visitors, goods and services effectively, efficiently, safely and affordably in an equitable manner.’

The main chapters of the updated ITP are:

• A more compact city, with more buildings and developments close to public transport routes
• A more effective transport system, with a restructured network that facilitates today’s diverse trip patterns
• A good quality public transport system that gets people moving and offers a viable alternative to private car trips on account of its convenience, comfort and network coverage
• An integrated transport system that ensures maximum service coverage by co-ordinating different transport modes and ensuring acceptable transfers between them
• A transport network that supports a growing economy by accommodating the needs of the freight industry
• A transport network that discourages unsustainable transport modes such as single-occupancy vehicles (private cars with only one person in them) and prioritises public and non-motorised transport.
• A transport system that reflects the environmental concerns of its users and incorporates technology and innovation in order to be sustainable into the future.

Copies of the draft ITP are available at subcouncil offices and all public libraries or may be downloaded here :

 Integrated Transport Plan for the City of Cape Town 2006 To 2011 (PDF, 5.8mb)
 Executive Summary : ITP for the City of Cape Town 2006 To 2011 (PDF, 1.2mb)

Transport affects everyone in Cape Town, and everyone is entitled to make their views known. To facilitate this, the City’s Transport Department will hold a public hearing where key transport sector stakeholders and organisations, identified from an existing database of interest groups, will present their comments. It will also set up Information desks at the following venues:

DATE	VENUE	TIME
Saturday, 5 September 2009	Fairbridge Mall, Brackenfell	9:00 – 11:00
Saturday, 12 September 2009	Vangate Mall, Athlone	9:00 – 11:00
Saturday, 12 September 2009	Kenilworth Centre, Kenilworth	1:00 -3:00
Saturday, 19 September 2009	Mitchell’s Plain Promenade, Mitchells Plain	9:00 – 11:00
Saturday, 26 September 2009	Somerset Mall, Somerset West	9:00 – 11:00

“All comments will be considered before the ITP is presented to the Transport, Roads and Stormwater Portfolio Committee, the Mayoral Committee, and the full Council for approval before being submitted to the MEC: Western Cape Provincial Government and the Minister of Transport” says Thompson.

Comments must be submitted by Monday 28 September 2009 to:

ITP Public Participation Office
Post: P.O. Box 494, Cape Town 8000
Fax: 021 424 5588
E-mail: Tamara.North@af.aurecongroup.com or
             Lindiwe.Gaika@af.aurecongroup.com

The ITP is distinct from the Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system, which is a national initiative aimed at the transformation and restructuring of public transport. The differences are:

The Integrated Transport Plan (ITP) is a strategic, five year plan for managing and developing Cape Town’s transport system. It is a statutory document required in terms of the National Land Transport Transition Act (No. 22 of 2000) and must be updated annually. The current process also aligns with the National Land Transport Act (No. 5 of 2009) while awaiting its implementation.

The Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system is a national initiative aimed at the transformation and restructuring of Public transport. This system seeks to ensure safe, efficient and effective public transport. It is envisaged that the Cape Town IRT will be implemented in four phases over the next 10 – 12 years, aiming at providing transport for 75% of the population.