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PUBLIC transport users are set for a smoother and faster ride, after Buffalo City Municipality passed an operational plan for the implementation of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system for the city.
The system is to be used to improve public transport between Mdantsane and the East London city centre, and work on the project is set to begin in 2011.
R511million from the Public Transport Infrastructure Grant has been pledged for the system, for which a fleet of up to 49 buses will be used.
The first draft of the operational plan had been approved by the council “in principal” in April last year, but an additional area has since been incorporated into the transport plan.
The original route stretched from the Mdantsane Highway taxi rank to Gillwell Street in the city centre. It will now end at the bottom of Oxford Street, near the University of Fort Hare’s East London campus.
At a special council meeting yesterday, development planning portfolio head on the mayoral committee, John Badenhorst, said that as the operational plan had been approved, extra sub-routes could be considered for inclusion. “We’ve made one change to the plan that was submitted last year in order to make sure we have no traffic jams in the city; we have made the terminal at the end of Oxford Street,” he said. By having the terminal at the end of the city’s main street, traffic could be more effectively diverted into Buffalo and Cambridge streets.
Proposed additional sub- routes include :
Gonubie to the East London CBD;
Beacon Bay to the East London CBD;
Mdantsane to Berea;
Mdantsane to Ocean View; and
Scenery Park to Southernwood.
Other potential feeder routes identified for the system include areas such as Nompumelelo, Dorchester Heights, Duncan Village, Nahoon, Quigney, Vincent, Chiselhurst, West Bank and Wilsonia.
Badenhorst said the BRT system was a “brilliant initiative” which would end transport problems in the city – and be a boost for taxi associations.
“BCM provides the physical side of this plan. Then the taxi associations will make up the company which will maintain the running of the system,” he said.
“We have already met with taxi associations and we’ve had a positive response.”
ANC councillor Fudukile Mbovane said it was a positive move from BCM, but maintained it was important to make citizens aware of the changes in order to get them on board.
“I propose we have a broad awareness campaign with huge billboards in the city, in order to show citizens that we are committing to moving away from inferior transport systems,” he said.
However, the BRT plan was not unanimously backed. PAC councillor Jerome Mdyolo said his party could not picture the system working in Buffalo City.
“As PAC, we are opposed to the BRT. We have noted that other cities have had problems and it could happen here, because force is being used to implement the system,” said Mdyolo.
Some taxi operators were also against the idea.
Bongani Mazwi, a taxi operator for the East London Taxi Association, said he was against the BRT system and hoped council would reconsider its decision. “We are not happy with this situation. We do not get subsidised and now our drivers will be without jobs,” he fumed.
“They are planning to take over most of Mdantsane Highway taxi rank, so our taxis will not be able to operate.”
Badenhorst, however, said negotiations with the taxi associations on the BRT system would continue.
There were other concerns over the plan. DA councillor Terence Fritz said: “Let’s just be careful not to have all our eggs in one basket. If this is run by the taxi associations, then we have to ... ensure we have a back-up plan.”