The capital budget for the City of Cape Town’s Urban Mobility Directorate amounts to roughly R8.3-billion over the next three financial years, with more than R543-million set aside for projects to relieve traffic congestion, R553-million for road reconstruction and rehabilitation, and R5.2-billion for the expansion of the MyCiTi bus service to the metro south-east, Wynberg and Claremont.

Nearly R57-million is also budgeted for a new MyCiTi station in Maitland that will form part of route extensions between Dunoon, Maitland and Century City in coming years.

Projects amounting to R51-million are also in the pipeline to improve walking and cycling lanes in Khayelitsha over the next three financial years, and about R52-million for Mitchells Plain over the same period.

There are also numerous projects related to minibus taxis.

These include the R60-million budgeted for a new minibus-taxi facility in Mfuleni, with R168.1-million budgeted for a new public transport interchange (PTI) in Nyanga, R53.6-million for a PTI in Vuyani, R77.4-million for a new PTI in Nolungile and R57.7-million for a new PTI in Nonkqubela, while R9.8-million is budgeted for the upgrade of the Manenberg PTI.

As for the operational budget, about R4.2-billion has been allocated for the next financial year, which starts on July 1, with a continued focus on road maintenance.

The operational budget is spent on day-to-day costs, on maintenance of existing infrastructure, and the operational costs of the MyCiTi bus service.

“Mobility is our business,” says Urban Mobility MMC Rob Quintas.

“Our expenditure priorities for the next three financial years demonstrate our intention to keep people, goods and services on the move with a well maintained and expanding road network and improved access to public transport services.”

The City of Cape Town is responsible for maintaining a road network of more than 10 700 km.