root - June 25, 2024

  • City commences rebuilding of MyCiTi Stations in Dunoon, Joe Slovo, and Phoenix.
  • Sinenjongo High School urgently needs MyCiTi Bus Station restoration

Peter Luhanga 

When protesters seeking to erect shacks on municipal land vandalised the MyCiTi bus stations in Dunoon in 2018, and Joe Slovo Park in Milnerton in 2019, learners from Dunoon and Parklands had to resort to minibuses to get to Sinenjongo High School.

This change in transportation has led to significant issues with punctuality, especially when there are traffic roadblocks targeting minibus taxis, causing many students to arrive late to school.

However, there is hope on the horizon. The City of Cape Town has announced the commencement of a contract to rebuild the MyCiTi stations in Dunoon, Joe Slovo, and Phoenix.

Sinenjongo High School principal Khuselwa Nopote said the school’s dire need for the restoration of the MyCiTi bus station next to their school.

Nopote says it was upsetting when the bus station was vandalised, as learners greatly benefited from its convenience.  

“We will really appreciate if the MyCiTi bus station next to our school can be rebuilt, as we have a huge number of learners using MyCiTi from Dunoon and Parklands,” says Nopote.

She said bus service plays a critical role in providing affordable and reliable transportation for her learners, who have struggled with the inconsistent and sometimes unsafe minibus taxis.

On Tuesday, 18 June, the City’s Urban Mobility Directorate announced the commencement of the contract to rebuild the MyCiTi stations in Dunoon, Joe Slovo, and Phoenix. The project involves reconstructing the three vandalised MyCiTi stations.

City mayco member for urban mobility, Rob Quintas, says the rebuilding is possible due to funding from insurance. 

Quintas says the stations are vital to the communities they serve, but “we also need the communities to help us to protect the infrastructure that is provided for their benefit”.

Also, the City says it used this rebuild project as an opportunity to rename the Phoenix MyCiTi bus station to Freedom Station. This decision followed a public participation process last year, where community feedback showed majority support for the change.

Quintas said the City’s contractor has established their site near the station locations and plans to start construction soon. He said the anticipated completion date for these projects is November 2025, provided everything goes according to plan.

“These stations need to be rebuilt so that the residents who depend on this reliable and safe public transport service can have easy access to the MyCiTi network again, from as close to home as possible.

Nopote said she “strongly” believes learners will use the bus when the route reopens.

“The restoration of the bus station will also assist in addressing the issue of late coming.”

She said when there are roadblocks, the learners arrive late because there are not taxis, or they are held up at the roadblocks. This sometimes affected exam times, which was a concern for the school. 

Quintas said measures to mitigate the risk of the stations being damaged again and to ensure continuity of operations, such as roller shutter doors, have been incorporated into the designs for the new stations.

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