MyCiTi trunk service sells 3000 tickets per day

Gridlocked traffic at peak hour delayed some MyCiTi buses as the service launched its feeder routes in Table View yesterday.

The three feeder services cover Big Bay, Table View, Parklands and Blouberg.

City communications director Kylie Hatton said although support for the service was growing, delays in peak-hour traffic yesterday morning were among the "teething problems" experienced. by the service's staff.

"From the city's side, we do apologise for any inconvenience as a result of these delays.

"This is a brand-new element of the system and we have seen some teething problems. The city hopes to resolve them as soon as possible."

Hatton said some of the buses were affected by the congestion in the Table View area, while others struggled to turn at intersections.

"There is not enough room for them when cars bunch up on the opposite side of the (intersection) during peak hour," she said.

"This led to some delays for some of the feeder services."

The city was considering painting yellow markings along the affected routes to deter cars from stopping where they would obstruct the buses.

Hatton urged motorists to be aware of the new buses and, if possible, to help ensure that there was enough space for them to turn.

In the long term, smaller buses would run along the feeder routes.

Hatton said that support for the service was increasing, with more than 3 000 tickets a day being sold on the trunk service.

For the inner-city feeder route, which includes Gardens, the Civic Centre and the Waterfront, around 300 tickets a day are being sold.

On the route to Cape Town International Airport, about 250 tickets a day are being sold, said Hatton.

Buses on the trunk routes were busiest during peak hours when, according to Hatton, they were "packed to capacity", with some passengers having to stand.

The trip on the trunk route between Table View and central Cape Town takes about 40 minutes.

The City of Cape Town was also working to inform commuters about the travelling schedule.

Schedules were published online, and would be sent to libraries and community centres.

For the feeder routes, the schedules were displayed at the stops.

Hatton said the city was "encouraged" by the early support for the service.

"It is for this reason that we value any and all feedback so we can further improve our service."

Passenger numbers had increased steadily in the week since the launch of the full service.

"We hope these numbers will rise further with the introduction of the feeder services bringing people to the trunk route," she said.

The service was launched on May 9 with a test run.

Tickets cost R10 for the trunk route and R5 for feeder services.

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