| City and Province enter into MOA about roads | Urban Mobility is committed to incrementally improving public transport infrastructure and operations in Cape Town, | <p>The Memorandum of Agreement concludes a lengthy process which will transfer responsibility of the affected roads to the City's Urban Mobility Directorate as the new road authority. This will allow future municipal road issues to be handled by a single authority and will streamline the management of these roads in Cape Town. This includes easier implementation of road upgrades, effecting necessary road closures and creating road links to improve traffic flow.</p><p>A de-proclamation process which includes extensive public participation via the Western Cape Government's Department of Transport and Public Works is under way and the transfer will formally come into effect once this process is concluded. In total, some 137 roads of approximately 224 km in length will fall under Urban Mobility's management.</p><p>'Urban Mobility is committed to incrementally improving public transport infrastructure and operations in Cape Town, and this devolution allows us to be more responsive to our road users' needs. The MOA will mean that we are better able to maintain a quality road network and this will have a positive effect on transport, which is a key factor in promoting economic growth. We welcome the Western Cape Government's cooperation in helping us achieve this important aim,' said Councillor Rob Quintas.</p><p>Members of the public can report any road-related matters to the Urban Mobility Transport Information Centre on 0800 656 463 or alternatively via the City's Call Centre on 0860 103 089.</p><p style="text-align:left;"> </p><p><strong>End</strong></p><p><br></p> | 2022-10-04T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| New bathing boxes, improved walkway and picnic area for St James beach | The City of Cape Town is pleased to announce that the St James beach project will commence within the next few days | <p>If all goes as planned, the project will commence within coming days and should be complete by the end of November, before the start of the December holiday period.</p><p>'St James beach is one of the iconic beach destinations along the False Bay coastline with visitors flocking to this tourist area over weekends and public holidays. The iconic bathing boxes are synonymous with this beach, and an important element of the town's heritage and sense of place. Given the derelict state of the existing bathing boxes, we have decided to replace these with new bathing boxes.</p><p>'We will also improve the walkway and seating area so that visitors can use this space for picnicking. I'm asking residents and visitors to please be patient while the project is under way, and to avoid the areas where work is happening,' said the City's Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.</p><p><strong>The project entails the following:</strong></p><ul><li>Bathing boxes – the City will remove the derelict bathing boxes and replace nine during the first phase, and two or three more in the next financial year</li><li>The walkway will be widened by 0,5m between the first set of steps and the second set of steps close to the ablutions. Once done, it will be 1,9m wide to comfortably accommodate more pedestrians, or to be used as seating</li><li>The section of the walkway between the ablutions and the seaward point will be widened to 2,8m and the area will be accessible by wheelchair, prams, and so forth</li><li>A seating wall and a sitting step will be added along the seaward edge to provide a stepped seating area with great views of the beach, tidal pool and Simon's Town</li><li>The picnic area will be upgraded by adding topsoil and new grass</li><li>The area between the ablutions and seaward point will not have bathing boxes anymore which will improve the view towards Simon's Town and provide more space for recreational users</li><li>The entrance area will be improved with the surfacing of untidy sections</li><li>The shower facilities will be improved by shifting it to a new concrete slab off the beach</li></ul><p>'We are excited about these improvements that will benefit the community and visitors to this iconic beach. We have engaged the local ratepayers' association and other residents who indicated their support for the project. This is a welcome and much needed effort to maintain and improve the St. James beach to ensure it remains an attractive destination for locals and tourists,' said local Ward Councillor Aimee Kuhl. </p><p> </p><p><strong>End</strong></p><p> </p><p><br></p> | 2022-10-04T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Survey about metered-taxi supply and demand now also available on City’s website | The City of Cape Town’s survey about the demand for and supply of metered-taxi services is now also available on the City’s website | <p>The questionnaire is intended for customers who make use of metered-taxis that are hailed at a rank or through a company, or e-hailing platforms such as Bolt, InDriver, and Uber; as well as for operators who provide these services, whether they have a legal operating licence or not. </p><p>Importantly, the survey is anonymous.</p><p>All interested parties have until midnight on 17 October 2022 to complete the survey.</p><p><strong>Interested parties can download the application called CCT Transport Questionnaire, from:</strong></p><ul style="list-style-type:disc;"><li>Google Play Store – <a href="https://bit.ly/cctquestplaystore" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/cctquestplaystore</a> <br></li><li>Apple App Store – <a href="https://bit.ly/cctquestappstore" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/cctquestappstore</a> </li><li>Huawei App Gallery – <a href="https://bit.ly/cctquestgallery" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/cctquestgallery</a></li></ul><p><strong>Otherwise, the survey is available on the City's website at:</strong> <a href="https://tct.gov.za/en/hail-and-ride-transport-questionnaire/" target="_blank">https://tct.gov.za/en/hail-and-ride-transport-questionnaire/</a> </p><p>The questionnaire starts off by asking whether the person participating is a customer, or an operator. After the participant has selected the applicable response, the appropriate questionnaire will follow for completion.</p><p>'I am calling on all Capetonians who make use of these services to please participate in the survey. It is now available on the City's website as well and I believe this way we will reach more customers and operators.</p><p>'While we are of the view that the state should ideally not need to engage in trying to measure market demand, nor stipulating market supply, the current law requires that we follow a clear and transparent process to decide on the issuing of new operating permits by the Western Cape Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE).</p><p>'By participating in this survey you will help us determine how many operators Cape Town needs. Thus, customers will in the end benefit from telling us where the gaps are so that we can address these in a systematic and planned manner.</p><p>'The questionnaire is aimed at informing us of the customer's hail-and-ride experience. For example, participants are asked about their trip start locations, how long they usually wait for the operator to arrive, how often they travel and at what times. It should take about five minutes, if that long, to complete the questionnaire,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.</p><p>As for operators, the City is calling on all metered-taxi operators – whether hailed at a rank or through a company, or e-hailing platforms – to complete the questionnaire.</p><p>'The purpose of the questionnaire is to provide us with critical data to more accurately determine the factors to apply in whether the City can support the issuing of any new operating licences by the PRE. The questions posed to operators focus on their operating hours, waiting times between trips, busiest and quietest times. The latter is important because the long-term sustainability of the industry is key. </p><p>'I am thus urging operators to please make use of the opportunity and complete this anonymous questionnaire. The more data we collect, the better, as this will enable us to make an informed decision. By working together we can create an operating model that is in the interest of customers and operators, and the businesses facilitating these services,' said Councillor Quintas.</p><p> </p><p><strong>End</strong></p><p><br></p> | 2022-10-04T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Reaching out in celebration of International Ombudsman Month | Cape Town residents are encouraged to reach out to the City of Cape Town’s independent Ombudsman’s Office on Wednesdays throughout the month of October 2022 at the Cape Town Civic Centre. | <p>Ombudsman's Office teams will be at the Cape Town Civic Centre, Concourse Level, at the municipal customer care office on Wednesdays from 10:00 to 13:00, on 5, 12, 19 and 26 October 2022. The Ombudsman's Office assists residents with all last-resort municipal complaints as part of its function of making sure the City performs on its service delivery mandate timeously, properly, inclusively and respectfully. </p><p>The October Month initiative is in addition to The Office of the Ombudsman stationed permanently at the following municipal offices:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Explore%20and%20enjoy/See-all-city-facilities/our-service-facilities/Walk-in%20centres/Stocks%20and%20Stocks%20%28Khayelitsha%29%20Walk-in%20Centre" target="_blank">Khayelitsha Walk-in Centre</a></li><li><a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Explore%20and%20enjoy/See-all-city-facilities/our-service-facilities/Walk-in%20centres/Liberty%20Promenade%20Mall%20Walk-in%20Centre" target="_blank">Liberty Promenade Mall Walk-in Centre, Mitchells Plain</a></li><li><a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Explore%20and%20enjoy/See-all-city-facilities/our-service-facilities/Walk-in%20centres/Kuils%20River%20Walk-in%20Centre" target="_blank">Kuils River Walk-in Centre</a></li><li><a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Explore%20and%20enjoy/See-all-city-facilities/our-service-facilities/Walk-in%20centres/Durbanville%20Walk-in%20Centre" target="_blank">Durbanville Walk-in Centre</a></li></ul><p>'We are using the month of October to highlight the importance of holding government to account and to empower residents with the knowledge that they have last-resort complaint channels to ensure the City of Cape Town remains an open, transparent and responsive government that delivers on its service delivery mandate. </p><p>'Our office continues to ensure that we bring our services closer to communities, especially closer to vulnerable residents. We encourage residents to visit us to learn more about our services and how we can assist them with their complaints,' said the City's Ombudsman, Vusumzi Magwebu. </p><p><strong>How to lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman</strong></p><p>Once a complaint form has been completed, it can be sent by post or delivered to:</p><p>The Ombudsman<br> Third floor<br> Tower Block<br> Cape Town Civic Centre<br> 12 Hertzog Boulevard<br> 8001<br> Cape Town</p><p><strong>Alternatively, the complaint form can be emailed to </strong><a href="mailto:ombudsdirect@capetown.gov.za" target="_blank"><strong>ombudsdirect@capetown.gov.za</strong></a><strong> or faxed to 021 400 5952.</strong></p><p>Please always describe a complaint in detail, including the name/s of the official/s involved, what happened and any relevant dates and times. Please always include any relevant documentation or evidence. The Ombudsman's Office will assess the complaint to determine whether the office can assist or whether to direct the complainant to the appropriate department or institution.</p><p><strong>The office follows the Ombudsman By-law (2015). It functions with independence, credibility and impartiality. It is against the law and South African Constitution to interfere in the business, powers and functions of this office. The City encourages members of the public to approach the Ombudsman once they have exhausted the required channels. </strong></p><p>There are many City complaint channels available to members of the public, depending on the nature of the complaint. </p><p><strong>The </strong><a href="http://www.capetown.gov.za/Departments/Ombudsman" target="_blank"><strong>Ombudsman</strong></a><strong> does not investigate the following complaints, as there are other complaint channels for these:</strong></p><ul><li>any legislative or executive decisions by the Council, any of its portfolio committees or subcouncils;</li><li>any matter involving an allegation of fraud, corruption or corporate crime as referred to in the City's <a href="http://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Bylaws%20and%20policies/Fraud%20Prevention%20Policy%20and%20Fraud%20Response%20Plan%20-%20%28Policy%20number%2025749A%29%20approved%20on%2003%20December%202014.pdf" target="_blank">Fraud Prevention Policy</a>;</li><li>any matter or dispute which must be dealt with or settled within the field of labour law;</li><li>any allegation relating to financial irregularities;</li><li>any cases where the complainant has not reported the matter to the line department as a first port of call;</li><li>any alleged irregular conduct of a councillor;</li><li>any complaint which is vexatious or frivolous;</li><li>any tender-related matter; and</li><li>administrative appeals.</li></ul><p><strong>Contact for assistance/information</strong></p><ul><li>SMS 44781 </li><li>Contact details: 021 400 1701 and 021 400 9441<strong> </strong>(Monday to Friday, except on public holidays) between 10:00 and 14:30</li><li>Email: <a href="mailto:ombudsdirect@capetown.gov.za" target="_blank">ombudsdirect@capetown.gov.za</a></li></ul><p><strong>For more information, please visit:</strong> <a href="http://www.capetown.gov.za/Ombudscomplaints" target="_blank">www.capetown.gov.za/Ombudscomplaints</a></p><p> </p><p><strong>End</strong></p><p><br></p> | 2022-10-04T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
