What is the difference between IRT and BRT?
Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) represents a package of measures that the City is undertaking in an attempt to provide a more sustainable and balanced integrated transport system in Cape Town. The measures include the priority rail plan, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), improvements to conventional bus and minibus operations, cycle ways and bicycle parking, pedestrian and urban space upgrades, metered taxi integration, and park-and ride facilities. The objective is to make all these modes work as a seamless and integrated package of options for the traveling public.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a high-quality bus-based transit system that delivers fast, comfortable, and cost-effective urban mobility through the provision of segregated right of way infrastructure, rapid and frequent operations, and excellence in marketing and customer service.
What are the advantages of BRT?
The most defining feature of the BRT system is its focus on customer service. Dedicated, median busways will provide customers with dramatically reduced travel times. Operating costs will be low so that fare levels are quite affordable. Special attention will also be given to safety and security through the presence of extensive security personnel and the use of CCTV cameras. BRT offers easy transfers between routes, and the convenience of smart cards to pay for journeys. Passenger information on routes and vehicle arrival times are provided at stations.
What is the difference between trunk and feeder services?
Trunk services will use exclusive busways, which will usually be in the middle of the road and will have enclosed, weather protected stations. Passengers will enter the stations through turnstiles using prepaid smart cards. The feeder services will run on normal streets providing connections between communities and the trunk stations. Passengers will validate their smart cards as they enter the feeder vehicles. The trunk services will use larger high-capacity vehicles and the feeder services will use smaller vehicles.
How much quicker will the system be than the current public transport system?
Vehicles on trunk routes will have the advantage of using the dedicated lanes and will not be caught up in traffic congestion. Already, the Bus and Minibus Taxi (BMT) Lane on the N2 highway saves commuters 20 minutes on their morning peak hour trip into the centre of Cape Town. The use of smart cards and level boarding at the stations along with highly frequent services will speed up journey times by reducing the amount of time spent waiting at stations.
What will it cost and will fares be cheaper than for trains, and existing buses and taxis?
The fares will be comparable with existing bus and minibus taxi fares. Passengers will be able to purchase smart cards that are validated as they enter the stations on trunk routes.
Will there be schedules and reliable timetables?
Yes. During peak hours, there will be a vehicle every few minutes, in some cases every minute. At other times, the trunk vehicles will arrive at least every 10 minutes. The smaller feeder vehicles will arrive at stations at least every 20 minutes. There also will be real-time information displays at the stations to advise passengers when the next vehicle will arrive.
Will the system operate late at night and over weekends and public holidays?
It is planned that the system will be available to early morning commuters and evening revellers, 365 days a year.
How will the integrated ticketing work? Which modes will be integrated with the system?
Passengers will use smart cards to pay for their journeys. The trunk and feeder services will be integrated, using the same card for both services. Transfers between the trunk services will be free, and passengers will pay an additional fare for using the feeder services. The smart cards can be purchased either at the trunk stations or at various retail outlets throughout the city. The smart card system is part of a national initiative for a universal electronic payment system. Ultimately, customers will be able to use the same smart card for all transport modes (including rail) as well as to purchase goods and services at retail shops.
Will there be subsidies for the BRT system?
The national and local government’s investment in dedicated infrastructure for public transport does represent a capital subsidy to the network. However, it is projected that the need for operational subsidies will be minimised or even eliminated. Thus, in the medium term, the system represents good value for taxpayer funds, as a once-off capital subsidy reduces the need for on-going operational subsidies.
Will it be sustainable from an environmental perspective?
The IRT is being designed as an environmental showcase for the City. Air emissions will be substantially reduced through clean vehicle technologies and the number of persons projected to shift from private cars to public transport. All vehicles in the system must meet EURO III emission requirements and incentives are in place to encourage use of EURO IV technologies. The City is developing an application to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to obtain carbon credits for the resulting carbon dioxide emission reductions. An added benefit will also be the cleaner and clearer skies in Cape Town due to the reduction in emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, carbon monoxide and particulates. The system designers are investigating the use of solar photovoltaic cells at stations to generate the system’s electricity needs. Energy-efficient lighting and equipment will become the standard for the system. In addition, recycling bins will be made available at each station.
Does the BRT system mean that the current rail services won’t be improved or extended?
No. The City of Cape Town is working closely with the South African Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC) to ensure that the priority rail plan for Metrorail is implemented as soon as possible. This priority rail plan includes new and refurbished coaches, station upgrades, improved signalling and security enhancements. In addition, the extension of the Khayelitsha line with two additional stations is under construction. The goal is to design the rail and the BRT components as a single high-quality integrated public transport system.
Will the system be accessible to passengers with physical disabilities?
Yes. The system will be 100 percent compatible for passengers in wheelchairs and passengers who have other disabilities such as sight impairment. All trunk stations will have level surfaces at entrances and exits as well as a level surface between the platform and the vehicle. Likewise, all feeder vehicles will be equipped with ramps that can be pulled out to allow wheelchair access into the vehicles. Inside both trunk and feeder vehicles, there will be designated open spaces for securing of wheelchairs. These enhancements will benefit a large number of customers and not just those with long-term physical disabilities. Persons with temporary disabilities or injuries, parents with prams, the elderly, and the young will all benefit from the ease of access at
stations and within vehicles.
How will security be ensured?
All trunk stations will have full-time security staff on the platforms. There also will be roving security staff on both trunk and feeder vehicles. All stations will be continually monitored by multiple CCTV cameras, which will be overseen at the system’s central control centre. There will also be CCTV cameras within the vehicles themselves. Feeder stations will be fitted with special emergency call boxes, which will include a direct visual and telephone link to the control centre. In cases of emergencies, security staff will be immediately dispatched to the site.
Will I be affected by the construction?
There will be some disruption due to the construction. The City is planning the construction carefully in order to minimise traffic impacts. The dedicated lanes in the centre of the roadways are being reconstructed to take the heavier vehicles, and so some impacts on traffic are expected.
What will the City do to promote use of the new system?
The City will undertake an aggressive and sustained promotion campaign to market and promote the system. It is hoped that that the success of the system will serve to promote itself.
What is the role of the Provincial Government?
All three spheres of government (national, provincial and local) have a significant role to play in this initiative. National government is providing policy support and funding to the project. Provincial government currently oversees existing bus contracts, and the Province’s co-operation in aligning these contracts to the roll out schedule of the IRT system will be critical to its success. Local government is responsible for planning and implementing the system, as well as providing its own funding support. Only through a genuine partnership between all three spheres of government will the successful transformation of public transport in Cape Town be realised.
Will existing minibus operators be part of the new system?
Yes. The minibus taxi industry has served a long historical role in providing essential public transport services to some of Cape Town’s most socially deprived areas. The industry has done so without the assistance of any public subsidy. Given this backdrop, the intent of the City of Cape Town is to improve the industry’s profitability and to improve working conditions for employees within the industry. The City is working to provide all existing bus and minibus owners the opportunity to participate in the Cape Town Integrated Rapid Transit System. The mechanism to transform the industry into a more profitable business model will depend on the outcome of the discussions with existing bus and minibus operators. There are several excellent examples of successful mechanisms to encourage existing operators to participate in the new system. An attractive incentive package in conjunction with improved operational profitability has worked elsewhere in gaining the acceptance of the industry. In fact, once a successful demonstration has been conducted, other cities have found that existing operators actually push the governmental authorities to implement more routes. The City of Cape Town’s objective is for the industry to lead the transformation process themselves.
How will existing bus operators, such as Golden Arrow, be affected?
The existing bus operators, such as Golden Arrow, as well as small- and medium-sized bus owners, provide essential public transport services. This industry is also currently under extreme cost and competitiveness pressures, which in turn affects the quality of the services to the customer. The provision of dedicated bus lanes on the N2 has benefited this industry, and the industry has responded by requesting that more such infrastructure be provided. Another core objective of the Cape Town Integrated Rapid Transit System is that all operators are treated on a level playing field. Rather than seeing the bus and minibus industry as two separate worlds, the intent is to move to an integrated approach in which the entire industry is developed around a robust business model. Therefore, the City is intent on engaging the entire industry in a partnership to shape the way forward.
How will the City engage with the existing operators?
With the Council’s approval of the project’s Phase 1A on 27 August 2008, the City has launched an outreach programme with the bus and minibus industry. At this early stage of the project, the City is meeting with each industry association and each owner to form a partnership on the way forward. Through this partnership, it is hoped to jointly devise mechanisms to reach mutual objectives. Only through the substantive and meaningful engagement with the entire industry is it possible to gain the trust necessary to achieve these objectives. In no way is the City of Cape Town planning a new public transport system that is outside the existing bus and minibus industry. These existing operators are an indispensable resource that must form the basis of a new structure that is more profitable and that provides a superior customer experience.
How will existing operators benefit from the new system?
The intent of the Cape Town Integrated Rapid Transit System is to assist in creating win-win conditions for both the existing operators and the travelling public. An example of this type of initiative is the Bus and Minibus Taxi (BMT) lane on the N2 highway. The time saving achieved by the dedicated lane means that operators become more profitable and customers enjoy a much faster trip into the city centre. The Cape Town Integrated Rapid Transit System will expand the amount of dedicated lanes being given to public transport. The new system will also seek to achieve the following objectives:
- Improve economic conditions for public transport service providers
- Provide dedicated busway infrastructure to improve operational efficiencies and reduce travel times
- Reduce fuel, vehicle and maintenance costs for operators
- Create a level playing field for all public transport operators
- Encourage modal shifts away from private vehicles and towards public transport
- Increase the amount of employment in the public transport sector
- Dramatically improve working conditions for drivers and other industry staff, including the provision of health benefits and a long-term pension
- Deliver improved salary levels to public transport employees
- Improve the quality of service to public transport customers
- Raise the level of professionalism within the sector
How will existing operator permits be affected?
The first part of the process is to validate existing permits and licences. This exercise is in the direct interest of existing operators who are unfairly compromised by illegal operators who are not permitted for a particular route or area. Proper permitting is also in the safety and security of customers. The permit validation process is not just related to the longterm disposition of the existing permits with respect to the Cape Town Integrated Rapid Transit System. Rather, permit validation is part of a legal process that the City is legally obligated to undertake as a standard practice.
How will the new system affect the thousands of minibus taxi operators and drivers who depend on their current jobs?
A principal objective of the Integrated Rapid Transit System is to substantially improve the work environment for those currently employed. Current drivers and staff often do not have employment benefits such as leave, sick leave, health care, maternity benefits, and pensions. The new system will provide these benefits as well as safer working conditions, a stable salary and regular work hours, while enhancing professionalism and career development. The City is working to add employment to the sector through the addition of particular functions, such as security, fare collection, and customer service.
Will being PDI help in terms of providing services in the new system?
Yes. As a matter of procurement policy and legal requirements, the City of Cape Town fully adheres to the Preferential Procurement Framework Act.
Will minibus taxi associations be disbanded?
No. All minibus taxi operators are free to remain part of existing associations.
September
Why do we need MyCiTi?
Public transport in Cape Town, as in other cities in South Africa, is widely regarded as inadequate. Furthermore, there is a high and rising level of congestion on our roads, and a limit on the ability to provide increased road space for private cars. These factors, along with increasing environmental concerns and economic factors, show that the city needs a significant intervention to improve mass transit and development opportunities across the metropole. The backbone of this public transport system will be improved rail, complemented by the MyCiTi Bus Rapid Transit service.
Transforming the public transport industry and improving public transport services is a priority for government and the MyCiTi system is being rolled out in accordance with national policy, with full backing and financial support from national government. Since 2009, national law has devolved the responsibility for public transport to metropolitan governments, given that cities are primarily responsible for the servicing and managing the urban “built environment”.
The City has reached that crossroads where intervention is now necessary. Significant improvements to our city’s public transport system need to begin. This is an intervention we cannot afford not to do.
Which MyCiTi service is up and running?
The MyCiTi airport shuttle, operating between Cape Town International Airport and the Civic Centre Station in the Central Business District, is now running at R50 per trip. It is expected that cheaper, multi-trip tickets will be available soon. The shuttle departs every 20 minutes, and run in both directions.
When will the new interim inner-city service start?
During the World Cup an inner-loop bus service was provided, focusing on the needs of visitors. A new inner-city service will start operating towards the end of September 2010. This service will go to the Waterfront, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town International Convention Centre, the Cape Town train station, and Long and Loop streets up to the Gardens Centre. A service will also run in the opposite direction. The cost will be R5 per trip.
It should be noted that both the MyCiTi airport shuttle and the interim inner-city service are only partial elements of the full Integrated Rapid Transit system, and will provide users with a sense of what is to come. These services will also provide the new IRT operating companies with valuable experience in the lead-up to the implementation of the full MyCiTi trunk and feeder bus system.
What difference will this interim MyCiTi inner-city bus service make?
The inner-city service is the first element in a speedy, regular, efficient, modern system that will eventually extend across the city. The bus service will become more user-friendly as each new element is launched, because these elements integrate with one another and with existing public transport. For example, when the new interim inner-city service is launched in September, passengers will be able to transfer from the airport shuttle to the interim inner-city service at Civic Centre Station. This means they will be able to travel on the new bus system from the airport to the Waterfront, Gardens and the Loop and Long street areas. They will also be able to catch the train, buses and taxis from across greater Cape Town to the CBD, then transfer at the train station on to the interim inner-city service.
Why was the inner-city loop stopped after the World Cup?
The inner city loop service was designed as a World Cup service primarily serving visitors, its route linking up with the Fan Fest, the fan walk and many tourist destinations. This service came to an end in mid-July as planned, since the high influx of visitors was expected to subside then.
It was initially planned that the MyCiTi service in the inner city would only be reintroduced when the City is ready to replace the existing scheduled bus and minibus-taxi services in the inner city, as is planned for October 2011.
However, the City has received extensive feedback on ways to improve the inner-city service, together with requests to reintroduce the service – along an adapted route, increasing the frequency of the buses in the mornings, and making signage more visible. In response to this demand, the City will therefore launch an inner-city loop in late September, aiming this time at serving the needs of people who live and work in the city, as well as the broader community, including tourists.
How many people have used the inner-city loop and the airport shuttle?
As of 16 July 2010, MyCiTi buses had transported over 12 000 passengers between the airport and the Civic Centre, and over 17 000 people on the inner-city loop. On the eight match days, the MyCiTi buses shuttled about 140 000 passengers between the Civic Centre Station on Hertzog Boulevard and Cape Town Stadium station.
Where will people park their cars if using the airport shuttle from town?
There is existing parking around the Civic Centre Station. Free parking is available at parking space on DF Malan Drive, close to Table Bay Boulevard, which runs beneath the freeway. Paid parking is also available on along DF Malan Drive and at several nearby private parking places close to the Civic Centre Station, including one parking lot opposite Artscape.
When will MyCiTi provide its first commuter link towards Blaauwberg?
The service to Blaauwberg and Table View is expected to be launched early next year, as the first step in a service that will be extended later to Du Noon, Montague Gardens, Century City, Atlantis and Melkbosstrand.
How many buses will the city acquire, and of what sizes?
For phase 1A, a total of 310 vehicles will be acquired. These include 192 buses for the feeder routes (smaller, 9m-long buses and standard-size buses), 87 standard-size buses for the feeder routes and 31 articulated buses (18m long) for the trunk routes.
Where are these buses being used at present?
Four buses are currently servicing the route between the Civic Centre and Cape Town International Airport. The other buses are used whenever there is an event at the Cape Town Stadium, and for other events.
What is happening to buses not operational at present?
The other buses have been parked at the MyCiTi depot and the staging area on the Foreshore. They are being used on rotation at least once a week to ensure they remain in good functional condition. They will be used for the new inner-city service, which is expected to start towards the end of September.
Who is driving the buses?
All bus drivers are currently sourced from the transport sector (for instance, they are bus drivers with appropriate licences and retrained minibus drivers) and are employed on contract basis. The drivers who worked during the World Cup on the inner city loop, worked the full contract period of their employment, which ended in mid-July. Enough drivers will be employed to allow for routes to be optimally serviced, and relief drivers are available.
Who owns the buses?
The buses are currently owned by the City. They were procured to service the 2010 World Cup event, with the intent of disposing of the vehicles through an appropriate mechanism to the IRT vehicle operators when the operating contacts are awarded. Several models have been investigated regarding the transfer and ownership of the buses.
The most beneficial option favouring all parties, which the City is considering, is as follows: The City sells the buses to a financial institution, and invests the proceeds with that institution. The vehicles will then be leased to the operating company. The City will draw from its investment to make a separate monthly payment on behalf of the vehicle operators to the financial institution, thereby paying the lease.
This model is different from the one that will be used in subsequent phases of MyCiTi. The reasons for this are that in the first phase, the system revenue will be insufficient to cover the cost of the vehicles, as the service will be small relative to the final MyCiTi service across the city. Secondly, the City was able to buy these vehicles, as it obtained grant funding for them. Further, the vehicles were acquired to service the 2010 World Cup event and had to be procured by the City in the absence of a contracted vehicle operator.
In subsequent phases, after Phase 1A, the current model is that the vehicle operators will have to buy their own buses and pay for them out of the per-kilometre fee. The per-kilometre fee will be agreed upon, for the particular service rendered by the operators, and paid for by the City from income generated through fares, concessions and other sources.
Following a decision by Council on August 26, the City published requests in the press the next day, asking for public comment on the proposal to transfer the buses to a financial institution in terms of the Municipal Asset Transfer Regulations. This is the same proposal contained in the Business Plan, but the law requires a specific type of information statement to be put out for public comment.
How many phases are there in the new transport system and what are the timeframes?
The overall time frame likely to be between 15 and 20 years but this is dependant on the availability of funding. The approach is a phased one, rolling out the system from the city centre up to Blaauwberg and Atlantis, and eventually covering the entire Cape Peninsula, complementing the City’s rail services. There are four phases for the roll-out process. Currently, the city is busy with phase 1A. For more information, read the new MyCiTi business plan, on www.capetown.gov.za/irt
How will existing taxi organisations and transport sector role-players be included?
A similar model will be followed as was used for the World Cup service, and is currently being used for the airport shuttle. Minibus-taxi organisations and scheduled bus operators who are directly affected will form consortia in the form of private companies, and these will be awarded the contracts to operate the buses. Directly affected operators are those whose services are proposed for replacement by a particular phase of MyCiTi, whose legal rights are affected, and who have agreed to surrender their operating licence and operating vehicle.
For phase 1A, the City will award contracts to two companies. The extent of the service awarded to each of the companies (and constituent parts) will be based on their current market share.
Is the system development and roll-out still within budget, or are there shortfalls?
The new transport system is implementing national government policy. It has been approved by national government and a large part of its funding comes from national government. Phase 1A is still expected to remain within the expected budget of R4.2 billion for implementation, if VAT paid for infrastructure can be reclaimed. The extra VAT amount that may be due in addition, if VAT cannot be reclaimed, is R309 million.
By the 2013/2014 financial year, an amount of R809 million (the outstanding funding from the amount indicated above) must still be secured from national government for Phase 1A. The City has asked national government to provide this a year earlier, so that the system might be built faster than previously anticipated. Another R100 million is requested for the initial planning of later phases. None of these amounts constitute over-expenditure.
Regarding MyCiTi operations, the City has assessed an initial operational deficit of between R86 million and R145 million for phase 1A, with a midpoint of R115 million. The business plan indicates how this will be funded. This will be done through a combination of income from rates and bus subsidies (R55 million). If costs should reach a pessimistic projection of R145m (for example, if costs are significantly higher than expected, or if ridership is lower than expected), the City will have to call on additional grant funds from national government.
It should also be noted that the primary source of income to cover ongoing operation costs is that derived from fare revenue. Given the potential residential and other development growth in the Table View area, existing congestion levels and limited opportunities for increase road space, a significant increase in commuter patronage is expected in the future.
Has the VAT issue been finalised?
The City is still awaiting word from SARS, which is in discussion with the National Treasury about the issue. The question is whether input VAT can be reclaimed on all inputs regarding transport expenditure. SARS’ preliminary view is that, where the City provides infrastructure for private motorists it can reclaim the input VAT, but where it provides dedicated infrastructure for bus rapid transit it cannot. The question still to be settled is whether this VAT on inputs can be reclaimed or not.
What park-and-ride facilities are being developed?
The ultimate vision of the new MyCiTi transport service is to provide an integrated transport system that encourages as many people as possible to leave their cars at home, and opt for public transport from close to their homes instead. The aim is that, once the entire service is rolled out across the city, there will be a trunk or feeder station within 500m – an easy walking distance - of 75% of the homes in Cape Town. To reach their nearest MyCiTi trunk station, people will have the option of walking, cycling or catching a feeder bus.
The City recognises that until these feeder buses are launched, commuters will have to find interim solutions for getting to the trunk stations. It will take a while before all the feeder services are set up. Meanwhile, the City is investigating parking facilities that may be available at each station along the route, as an interim measure for those who need to travel to the MyCiTi stations. Parking does exist close to many of the stations, although arrangements must still be finalised. The City acknowledges the concerns of residents who live close to the trunk stations, that there might be an increase in the amount of informal parking in their vicinities. It is investigating possible solutions to these issues.
Where are cycling facilities being built?
A three-metre wide cycle lane is being built along the 16km route from Table View to the city. Cyclists will also be able to take their bicycles on to the buses (this may be restricted at peak times) or leave them at special facilities close to the stations, which will have security guards. A secondary supporting network of cycle paths has been designed along all the roads intersecting with the trunk service. As far as possible, networks like this will be extended along all MyCiTi trunk routes as the system is expanded.
Bicycles will be allowed on buses, and secure bicycle racks are also planned at key trunk stations.
Why are there red lanes with no buses on them?
Before a new bus service to Blaauwberg can be launched, all work on the new red bus lanes, as well as on the cycle lanes and all the bus stations on the route, must be finished. The final stage of this work is under way, and the City expects to launch the new service to Blaauwberg early next year.
Why are there cracks on the red bus lanes?
The red bus lanes are made of continuously reinforced concrete, in which cracking will develop. The cracking has occurred as expected. The concrete is heavily reinforced to control the cracking, and the cracks in the red MyCiTi bus lanes depend largely on the prevailing weather conditions when the concrete was laid. However, the cracks will not widen any further and are not a cause for concern. Had the concrete not been continuously reinforced, regular joints would have had to be cut into the concrete. The option to select a continuously reinforced concrete bus was based on considerations of maintenance and life-cycle cost.
Where is more information made available?
The business plan document is available for comment, and can be viewed at public libraries or online at www.capetown.gov.za/irt - click on “Business Plan”. Another set of Frequently Asked Questions is also available on this