Additional holding spaces at the newly opened Somerset West Public Transport Interchange (PTI) will be investigated.
This according to Rob Quintas, Mayoral Committee member for Urban Mobility. The additional spaces will accommodate an overflow of public transport vehicles that cannot make use of the R65 million facility, which was officially opened early June.
“The open piece of land along Church Street currently occupied by minibus taxi operators seems to be the ideal space,” he said.
“The taxi industry is in the process of being regulated at national level and the expansion of the Metro South East Corridor (MSEC) is part of the solution to alleviate the number of taxis on the road and to improve trip duration.
“There are currently no further plans in place at the PTI with no additional space available for holding areas.”
Quintas was responding to increasing complaints by residents relating to minibus taxis blocking roads where they illegally park amid mounting frustrations at the apparent inadequate space at the new PTI. (“New PTI cannot cope with demand”, DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette, 24 July).
“Since the collapse of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) rail services, the minibus taxi industry has filled this void in providing public transport,” he said. “This has resulted in an unprecedented increase in the number of taxis operating across the entire City of Cape Town, of which the Somerset West area was not spared. The planning of the Somerset West PTI could not possibly have taken the collapse of the rail system into account, hence it being over-subscribed with minibus taxis since its opening.”
Quintas added that Prasa had since started to operate a limited rail service with the intention to, over time, reinstate its service to its former capacity.
Asked to elaborate on what would happen in the instance that more minibus taxis are required for the public in the Somerset West area and how will they be accommodated, Quintas replied: “In the event of increasing demand it is assumed that Prasa would have reinstated its rail service to its full capacity and, in the meantime, the City is proceeding in haste to launch the MSEC operations as soon as practically possible.
“The City is acutely aware of the increase in passenger demand but ultimately have to rely on Prasa to reinstate its services sooner rather than later.”
Several complaints were also directed to Golden Arrow Bus Services (Gabs), as its vehicles currently park on a vacant lot in a residential area.
“In the new facility, provision is made for only three bus loading bays in Church Street and further three holding bays opposite the church hall in Church Street,” Quintas said.
“We have, as part of the bus-operation plan, made provision for a holding site for 10 buses along Bright Street, opposite the Somerset West Railway Station. We are waiting for Gabs to provide us with an operational plan with regard to the additional holding area required.”
