Cape Town – Cape Town is at risk with fewer public transportation alternatives after MyCiTi has announced that due to recent significant increases in the price of diesel, some services in the City Bowl and West Beach will be reduced or suspended.

“There will also be a mandatory fare increase on November 1, triggered by the ongoing, high cost of diesel (details to follow),” said the bus company in a statement.

This happens ahead of what is expected to be a busy tourist season.

As of October 1, the 114 (Platform 8 Civic Centre‎ - Queens Beach) and 115 (Sea Point - Civic Centre) routes will be suspended.

Passengers can still connect between Sea Point and the inner city via route 104 along Beach Road from Adderley station, routes 108, 109 and 118 along Main Road from Adderley station, and route 105 along High-Level Road from the Civic Centre station.

Routes 101, 111, 103, 104, 113, 213, and 223 will now operate a Saturday schedule during the week, also hugely reducing capacity and frequency, particularly during peak hours.

Activists have expressed disappointment over these new changes.

Luke van Wyk from Young Urbanists South Africa said a more forward-thinking and sustainable response would be to urgently shift to electric or hybrid buses from diesel buses instead of cancelling or reducing services

“This is very disappointing as many of these routes have recently had much-welcomed service improvements such as increased frequencies on routes 101, 111, 103, and 104.”

Roland Postma a co-ordinator for Young Urbanists South Africa said the changes made it harder for Capetonians to use public transportation and also makes it less attractive for young people to end their dependency on private transportation as it is a root of problems from health, and climate change to having a more walkable city.

“Half of Capetonians do not own a car and the drop in services and cancellation of routes reinforce our inequality as a city and undo the hard work the city is doing to shift our dependency away from private transportation and being more caring and forward-thinking.”

Lorenzo Davids CEO of Urban Issues Consulting added that it is a rather devasting decision, in the context of general overall economic hardships, that public transport now become an early victim of government cost-cutting measures.

“The suddenness of the decision - with 5 days to implementation- as well as its impact on the public will have trigger consequences downstream for the economy and specifically for the employment sector.

“Public transport is the last remaining link to income generation for those without cars.

“And with the suspension of the MyCiti bus service in the West of the Metropole, we are now dismantling this vital economic link.

“The City must urgently explore hybrid-engined vehicles in the short term to mitigate these devastating outcomes for the public.

“If anything, we need more forms of public transport, not less.”

Weekend Argus