CT public transport service providers want to be part of solutions to traffic congestion crisis

Public transport service providers in Cape Town said they want to be part of the solutions to the traffic congestion crisis facing the city.

Cape Town is considered the most congested city in the country and ranks as the ninth most congested city in the world.

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According to the 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard, drivers are losing an average of 94 hours annually in traffic delays and costing the economy billions.

At Wednesday's launch of Mobility Month in Cape Town, provincial transport authorities admitted that fixing the public transport network in the Cape should be the first step to address this crisis.

South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) provincial chairperson Mandla Hermanus said dedicated lanes for public transport should be made a priority

"Even here within the City of Cape Town, the dedicated lane is only as you come into the city. There's no dedicated lane outbound and then you see a whole lot of congestion, especially in the afternoon peak, where people then get home very late."

Golden Arrow bus service general manager Derrick Meyer said public transport lanes without enforcement are useless.

"The extent of lawlessness in the Western Cape, as far as transport is concerned, has increased tremendously over the past couple of years. The reason for that is everybody is frustrated because of congestion."

Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) regional manager Raymond Maseko said with trains almost at full capacity, this will hopefully help ease the pressure on the roads.

"Once we get to that stage, we should be able to provide a capacity of a million passengers on a daily basis and that is not in the long-distance future, it's a period of 18 months."