The failed and dysfunctional Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) in Nelson Mandela Bay will be operational in April next year, if approved by council.

Twenty five buses are currently stagnant as the project has failed to kick off since its inception during 2009. National Treasury has also yet to release a report detailing its findings on alleged corruption and maladministration by officials who benefited from the project. The multimillion-rand IPTS is regarded as the city’s biggest corruption scandal.

Speaking at a IPTS media session on Wednesday, Mayoral Committee Memmber for Roads and Transport, Rano Kayser, said that talks with the Taxi Association were underway.

“We going to partner with the primary taxi operators, those taxi operators and the people of Nelson Mandela Bay should be the primary benefactors.”

Negotiations are still currently underway and a memorandum of understanding between the parties is yet to be signed.

“Our commitment to the people is that we are going to provide safe, reliable and affordable transport, despite the challenges. If we decided to get rid of it we would be betraying our voters,” Kayser said.

“We are mindful that the process is not going to be easy, our intentions are very genuine. We want to enter into relationships with primary operators. We had meetings two weeks ago with the taxi association and we agreed to postpone so they can engage with their members,” said Kayser.

The new administration is adamant to make the system work, despite previous claims that the IPTS road lanes are too narrow for the buses.

Kayser said that there was “nothing wrong” with the lanes and that the width did in fact prescribe to requirements.

IPTS Project Manager, Faith Repetsoa, added that existing infrastructure was not going anywhere.

“We will have to do maintenance and if the need arises we will expand,” said Repetsoa.

Repetsoa said that the IPTS would be rolled out in phases if approved by the Nelson Mandela Bay Council. The first phase is set to kick off at the Cleary Park Terminus in the city’s Northern Areas.