The City of Cape Town has placed an order to purchase the Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) vehicles from Volvo.

The City’s Supply Chain Management Bid Adjudication Committee recommended on 12 October that Volvo was the preferred bidder for the supply of the IRT trunk vehicles, and the City has been negotiating with Volvo on the initial quantity and delivery schedule for the IRT vehicles. The Council, at its meeting on Thursday 26 November, approved the budgetary provision of R101, 5 million to purchase the IRT vehicles and for additional services such as driver training.

The City’s operational transport plan for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ includes 43 IRT buses as an integral component of the event transport service. The buses will be used to provide a bus service from the airport to the Central Business District and a service from the station at the Civic Centre to the new Cape Town Stadium in Green Point on match days. After the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ these buses will be used as part of the IRT service as it is implemented.

At the Council meeting of 28 October, Council approved that IRT implementation proceeds as and when funds are received, but included a special provision to provide for the requirements of 2010 FIFA World Cup™, including the acquisition of the IRT vehicles. There is a need to exercise a prudent approach to the implementation of the IRT in the light of cost escalation and uncertainty on the receipt of indicated funding from National Government under the present economic circumstances.

Following Council’s decision in November, the order to purchase the IRT vehicles according to the agreed bus delivery schedule, has been finalised. The negotiated bus delivery schedule, while tight, has been agreed between the City and Volvo.

The negotiated bus delivery schedule allows for the delivery in Cape Town of training vehicles from January to March 2010. This will allow the training of bus drivers to proceed in parallel with the appointment of the operator of the service for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ event.

The manufacture and assembly of buses takes place in a phased manner with the City taking delivery in Cape Town of the buses at the rate of approximately five per week from April 2010.