Cape Town's MyCiTi N2 Express impasse escalated to national and provincial govt

17th July 2019 By: News24Wire

The City of Cape Town is hoping to meet the national and Western Cape's transport departments in the hopes of getting its suspended MyCiTi N2 Express to Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain back in service.

"We are doing our utmost to get the service back on track," said the city's mayoral committee member for transport, Felicity Purchase.

"To this end, we have included Minister [Bonginkosi] Madikizela and Minister [Fikile] Mbalula's departments in the process and can confirm we are meeting with them again this week.

"We are all eager to reach a solution that will see the N2 Express service resume operations and will inform the public once there is an outcome."

The service stopped when the existing operating contract ended on May 31.

Codeta, Route Six Taxi Association and Golden Arrow Bus Services are part of a joint venture and were contracted by the City to operate the N2 Express service in terms of the National Integrated Rapid Transport guidelines.

Purchase stated that Codeta objected to the extension of the existing contract due to the composition of the joint venture.

"We need to get the contract signed before we can operate the service," she explained.

On Monday GOOD party secretary-general Brett Herron slammed the city for its tardiness in getting the service up again, saying it was "cruel" and was costing commuters extra money.

In the meantime, Herron, who is a member of the provincial legislature in the Western Cape, refuted information he said was presented in the provincial transport and public works' first committee meeting.

He said Madikizela alleged the 2018/19 MyCiTi contract for the N2 Express service, signed by the current City of Cape Town manager and operating partners, which expired in May 2019, was "invalid".

This was because an updated service level agreement was not also simultaneously signed.

He said Codeta had indicated previously it wanted to run the service as a stand-alone vehicle operator.