INSIDE MYCITIA GUIDE FOR THE MEDIA2013

Introduction

The aim of this media pack is to keep journalists informed about the development of MyCiTi, Cape Town’s

Integrated Rapid Transit system. MyCiTi is the largest City project

since the development of Cape Town Stadium, and it aims to contribute to a fundamental overhaul of public transport in Cape Town. This is in line with successful cities the world over, where quality public transport is part of the lifeblood of the city, and an essential driver of economic growth and social cohesion.

MyCiTi is an important and dynamic story that impacts on many beats. This pack aims to set out the key goals and

features of MyCiTi for journalists who are new to the project, and act as a resource for those who have been following the story for some time.

Some of the information has been presented in narrative form and other information as ‘frequently asked questions’. We welcome your feedback on this media pack.

Please contact the City of Cape Town’s media office for ongoing updates about the MyCiTi project, which will pick up pace considerably in the second half of 2013 as many new routes become operational.

Councillor Herron (middle) discussing MyCiTi with journalists at the launch of the Salt River service.

Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town

Councillor Brett Herron

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Policy context

What makes Bus Rapid Transit special

The vision for MyCiTi in Cape Town

Financing MyCiTi

MyCiTi routes planned for 2013/2014

Working with the bus and minibus taxi industries

Universal access

Infrastructure and buses

Fare system

What’s ahead

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Contact information

Call centre: 0800 65 64 63 (24/7)Web: www.myciti.org.zaEmail: transport.info@capetown.gov.zaFacebook: MyCiTi – Integrated Rapid Transit SystemTwitter: @MyCiTibus

The project produces a monthly email newsletter. If you would like to receive it please email myciti@capetown.gov.za

The signalling system gives buses right of way over private vehicles.

The dedicated red bus way on the Civic Centre – Table View route gives the buses priority over private cars.

The myconnect card makes boarding quicker.

What makes Bus Rapid Transit specialBus Rapid Transit is regarded as the best model for modern public transport services, especially in developing countries. This is because it mimics the efficiencies of rail – carrying large numbers of people quickly, at a fraction of the infrastructure cost, typically four to 20 times cheaper than light rail, and 10 to 100 times cheaper than rail systems such as Metrorail. BRT is also more flexible than rail and in Cape Town is seen as an excellent complement to rail, which will remain the backbone of public transport in the city.

The key features of BRT are:• Dedicated busways in the middle of the road on main

routes• Electronic payment • High-quality stations and stops• Easy-to-board buses• A frequent, all-day service• Excellent communications and customer service

The first BRT was designed by the mayor of Curitiba in Brazil, Jaime Lerner, in 1972. More than 100 BRTs have now been built in cities across the world, including New York, Paris, Auckland, Beijing and Bogota, and about the same number are currently in development.

BRTs are being designed and infrastructure built in several South African cities, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Rustenburg, Durban, Pretoria and Port Elizabeth. The cities where commuter services have commenced are Cape Town, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.

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Policy contextIn 2009 the National Land Transport Act was passed by Parliament. This wide-ranging new law gives local government new powers and responsibilities for public transport. The Act recognises that public transport is best managed at the local city level and gives cities the powers to:

• Develop modally integrated public transport networks and travel corridors for the municipal area

• Undertake service level planning for passenger rail and establish an intermodal planning committee with the rail operator

• Establish integrated ticketing systems across modes of transport

• Conclude contracts with operators• Issue operating licences to public transport operators • Establish a Municipal Land Transport Fund to help

manage the financing of public transport.

Other important policy statements about public transport are the Public Transport Strategy and the Public Transport Action Plan of 2007. These documents paved the way for integrated transport planning ahead of the 2010 FIFA World CupTM and envisaged the fundamental transformation of public transport in South African cities.

1 The National Development Plan of 2012, which has been adopted by Cabinet, also underscores national government’s commitment to increase investment in public transport, devolve responsibility for public transport to municipalities and incentivise public transport use.

The establishment of a conditional grant to fund public transport, the Public Transport Infrastructure Systems Grant (PTISG) administered by the National Treasury, provides a funding stream for capable cities to upgrade public transport with support from the national fiscus.

The City of Cape Town is a beneficiary of this grant and has met all of the conditions of the grant as required, and reports regularly to national government on implementation against the grant guidelines.

From the next financial year National Treasury will split the PTISG into two separate grants. These are the Public Transport Infrastructure Grant (PTIG) for funding infrastructure and maintenance of assets, and the Public Transport Network Operations Grant (PTNOG) for funding operational components of public transport that exclude direct vehicle operating costs.

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The vision for MyCiTi in Cape TownThe City of Cape Town aims to ensure that in the next two decades 75% of households will be within 500 metres of a public transport service. The vision is of an integrated public transport service in which passengers can move seamlessly between modes making use of a common ticket and an integrated schedule.

Large parts of the city are currently not served by quality, safe, convenient and affordable public transport services. MyCiTi, which is primarily a bus rapid transit service, aims to improve public transport in parts of the city which are poorly serviced and in some cases replace existing public transport with MyCiTi.

The funding for MyCiTi comes largely from national government, which budgets in periods of three years as part of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework. This has necessitated a phased approach to the rollout of MyCiTi services across Cape Town.

The West Coast area, including Atlantis, was selected for the first phase for several reasons. These include the fact that in a city where rail is the primary mode of public transport, the West Coast has no passenger rail service. It is also an area of rapid population growth, with significant traffic congestion on a limited number of roads providing commuter links between

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Financing MyCiTiWhile most of us can agree that improved public transport would make Cape Town a better place for most people, there is little agreement on how much we can afford and where that money should come from. As a new project, and in effect a new public good, the financing of MyCiTi has been subject to considerable scrutiny.

MyCiTi is currently receiving large grant funding from the National Treasury’s Public Transport Infrastructure Systems Grant (PTISG), which will from the next financial year be split into the Public Transport Infrastructure Grant (PTIG) and the Public Transport Network Operations Grant (PTNOG).

National Treasury says that the intent of the PTISG ‘is to catalyse a transformation of South Africa’s public transport sector into a safe, secure, and high-quality experience for the passenger.’ National Treasury also makes specific reference to the need for new integrated public transport systems to be universally accessible.

In terms of the PTISG the Department of Transport encourages municipalities to develop high-quality public transport systems that transform the customer experience. This comes at a price, which flows not only from the establishment and operation of new public transport infrastructure, but the urban renewal and other services which are also required to ‘transform the customer experience’. This includes safety, infrastructure and staff, customer information services and redesigned precincts at transit infrastructure.

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The financing of this is discussed in detail in chapter eight of the business plan for MyCiTi. This explains that the capital costs and some of the operating costs are covered by the PTISG. The rates account and the City’s share of the national fuel levy contribute towards covering the operating costs that are not yet covered by fare revenue.

The PTISG says that cities should move towards achieving ‘operational financial sustainability’ as soon as possible. This can include contributions from the City’s own revenues as well as applications for grant funding.

It is widely recognised that subsidies play an important role in the provision of quality public transport. In South Africa this is particularly true as poor communities are often located far from jobs, good schools and tertiary institutions, necessitating fare subsidies to support the creation of a more inclusive society. Linked to this is that some areas are not yet attractive destinations which means that transport from these areas is well used in the peak, but not at other times of the day. As urban planning improves, so public transport routes like this become more viable and require less subsidisation.

A lot of work will continue to go into the creation of a robust business model for MyCiTi, in order to use subsidies effectively and provide services that are financially sustainable. The City of Cape Town will work closely with National Treasury and the National Department of Transport to achieve this, as well as learning from the experiences of other cities in South Africa and abroad.

the city centre and other commercial and industrial nodes. In addition, there was a relatively small number of existing public transport operators with whom the City had to engage to become operators of the new MyCiTi services.

The first phase also has services around the city centre and the Atlantic suburbs, as will as links to Century City and Montague Gardens.

Phase 2 of MyCiTi is in the business planning stages and will service the densely populated areas of the metro southeast, including Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha, with the Landsdowne-Wetton Corridor a key artery. A service along the N2 from Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain is planned for launch of the end of 2013.

The ultimate vision is a city in which public transport is the mode of choice for all Capetonians and the default mode of transport. If we can achieve this we will improve the quality of life in Cape Town by:

• making it easier to get around the city for everyone• reducing greenhouse gas emissions which impact

negatively on the environment and public health• providing an affordable, quality, public transport service

that brings Capetonians together• providing a reliable scheduled service that stimulates

economic growth and tourism, and • reducing congestion.

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MyCiTi routes planned for 2013/20145

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Working with the existing bus and minibus taxi industryThe National Land Transport Act (NLTA) of 2009 promotes the development of integrated public transport services, stating they should be planned, set up, regulated and monitored by municipal authorities. The allocation of this responsibility to cities is based on international best practice. By implementing MyCiTi, the City of Cape Town is fulfilling the aims of this legislation.

What are the implications for the bus and minibus taxi industry?

The NLTA gives cities the option of negotiating with the existing public transport industry and contracting with them to operate the vehicles for integrated public transport systems. In compliance with this the City is negotiating with all directly affected public transport operators before implementing new MyCiTi services.

Directly affected public transport providers are those whose services the City proposes to replace with MyCiTi services, and whose legal rights are affected by the launch of a MyCiTi service on a specific route.

These operators are eligible to form companies that will operate the MyCiTi buses. In return for this participation, minibus taxi operators must agree to surrender their operating licences and vehicles. They can then get compensation, or participate as shareholders in the MyCiTi vehicle operating companies, or a combination of both.

The City has gone about this on an incremental basis, meeting with directly affected operators in the areas where MyCiTi is being planned and rolled out, before initiating

discussions with operators in other areas. The City has been in discussion with operators in the West Coast, central city and Atlantic suburbs for some years now. This resulted in the signing of a contract with operators to operate the current services from 2010 to now. A 12-year contract as provided for in the NLTA will shortly be signed with two companies that have been formed by these operators to operate MyCiTi services until 2025 in these areas.

At the same time the City is talking to operators who will be directly affected by the proposed N2 Express Service. These discussions are at an early phase.

Bus companies are treated the same way. Currently Golden Arrow Bus Service (GABS) is in ongoing discussions with the City and provides services in terms of the current operating contracts for the West Coast and the central city.

GABS is currently the only operator that receives an operating subsidy, the Public Transport Operating Grant (PTOG). The NLTA and the PTISG make provision for cities to take over the administration of the PTOG so that it can be used to support the provision of quality, integrated public transport systems. It is well known that the City and GABS have different views about the provision of quality public transport in Cape Town. This is currently before the courts as GABS has approached the Supreme Court of Appeal to appeal a recent judgment that found in favour of the City.

What does this mean for these businesses?

This business arrangement provides an opportunity for operators to grow and mature their businesses by entering into formal contacts and contributing their skills to the operation of a large and scheduled service in which customer service is key.

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Minibus taxi companies directly affected by MyCiTi can receive compensation or participate as shareholders.

7Level boarding makes access to MyCiTi easy for all.

A ramp is deployed at roadside stops on request.

Universal access – what’s the big deal?Universal access means access for all groups with special needs. International experience has shown that universal access boosts passenger numbers by up to 40%. This provides a service for everybody, and also maximises fare revenue, helping to ensure the sustainability of the service.

Special needs groups include:• The frail and elderly• Children travelling alone• Passengers travelling alone at night• People with large luggage such as suitcases, prams

and surfboards, and • All disabled groups, including people in wheelchairs,

the visually impaired and the hearing impaired.

Many of these groups are unable, or too afraid, to use public transport. Special needs groups tend only to use public transport when they know it is safe and reliable, and understand how to use it. MyCiTi is engaging in an extensive communications exercise with these groups.

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Who in the industry is the City consulting?

The City of Cape Town is consulting with what are referred to as ‘directly affected’ operators – those whose services the City proposes to replace, and whose legal rights are affected. They are consulted before each new route is implemented. Negotiations take place to include these directly affected operators in the service, as described above.

In addition to directly affected operators, the City also consults with partially affected operators who may be impacted by the provision of a MyCiTi service because it is

operated on a portion of their route. Consulting operators and reaching agreement with them is essential for the provision of MyCiTi services. The City is also in an ongoing dialogue with commuters and affected communities.

Is this model going to work?

It is already working. Transport operators from the minibus taxi and bus industry ran the MyCiTi World Cup services, and are now running the six current routes. In Johannesburg a similar agreement was reached with the industry to manage the vehicle operations for the Rea Vaya BRT system.

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MyCiTi infrastructureWhy are the stations in the middle of the road?

This saves on infrastructure costs as it allows for one station to be built at each key location, rather than two – one on each side of the road. This is now internationally recognised as the most efficient, passenger-friendly model.

The station in the median does not make passengers cross more islands of traffic. If there were two stations, one on each side of the road, passengers would have to cross two sides of the road on either the inbound or outbound journey. To reach the station in the median, they must also cross two sides of the road, one on the inbound and another on the outbound journey. The net result is the same.

Is infrastructure of such a high quality warranted?

Building high-quality infrastructure constitutes a very small proportion of the cost of implementing a Bus Rapid Transit system, and attracts far more passengers. The best practice for BRTs internationally, including in developing countries, shows that high-quality stations, stops and shelters maximise passenger numbers in the long term, and provide a sustainable alternative to private car travel.

All passengers deserve safety in public transport services, in enclosed stations where appropriate, and at stops with shelter from the weather in locations where passenger numbers justify this. Skimping on infrastructure would save a small proportion of costs at a high cost to the reputation of the service.

In addition the City has traditionally invested in high-

8 quality infrastructure for private vehicles and their drivers and owners in the form of roads, kerbside parking, signage and lighting. Similar investment in public transport infrastructure creates greater parity for those dependent on public transport.

How many passengers can a bus accommodate?

The 18m buses accommodate 53 seated passengers, 87 standing passengers and have space for two wheelchairs. These articulated, high-floor buses are used on the dedicated bus lane between Civic Centre and Table View, and will be used when the N2 Express service starts operating.

The 12m buses accommodate 89 people altogether, 41 seated, 47 standing and one wheelchair. Special 12m buses are used on the airport route, which have slightly less seating in order to accommodate luggage. These buses accommodate 33 people seated, 58 standing and one wheelchair.

The 9m buses operate on routes in the central city and around residential areas. They accommodate 25 people seated, 25 standing and one wheelchair. When these buses dock at the MyCiTi stops, a boarding bridge can be extended upon request, to provide easy level boarding for wheelchairs or other users who require it.

There are also plans to operate 6m vehicles in areas where the topography restricts the movement of a larger bus. Areas that have been identified for possible 6m services include the Witsands-Atlantis route, Dunoon, Flamingo Vlei, Sunset Beach, Royal Ascot, Bo Kaap, Tamboerskloof, Upper Vredehoek, Higgovale-Upper Oranjezicht and Fresnaye.

The MyCiTi station in Table View, which is the hub for services in the surrounding suburbs.

The fare for residential routes is R5.80, which compares well with other public transport services.

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The MyCiTi fare systemAre MyCiTi fares affordable?

MyCiTi fares are comparable to those on existing transport services. In many instances they are slightly less, and in a few they are slightly more. In other words, you pay about the same fare for a much safer, more comfortable and efficient service.

The current fares are R5.80 for a residential or central city route and R11.50 for a trip on the main route between Table View and Civic Centre stations. One or two of the R5.80 trips are free when used in conjunction with the main routes.

Later in 2013, a distance-based fare system will be introduced. This will charge per kilometre travelled, rather than a flat rate. The fares will remain comparable to those on other public transport services. People travelling very short distances will pay slightly less than they pay now, and those travelling very long distances will pay less per kilometre than those living closer to the city centre. The aim is not to disadvantage people living on the outskirts of the city, who are traditionally poorer as a result of apartheid spatial planning.

For MyCiTi to be a success it needs to offer passengers a quality service that not only compares favourably with other public transport services but also converts people from use of private cars to its buses. In this way, Cape Town will realise the benefits of greater urban efficiencies, better environmental outcomes and improved quality of life.

At the same time, a balance has to be struck between the quality of the service and the affordability of fares. Consumer research shows that MyCiTi scores well in

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What’s aheadFrom August 2013, a number of new MyCiTi services will begin operations. These routes include:

• Civic Centre to Gardens and Oranjezicht

• Table View to Montague Gardens and Century City

• Civic Centre to Sea Point and Fresnaye

• Table View to Blouberg Sands

• Dedicated busway on Blaauwberg Road opens with new services to Wood station and Parklands

• Routes in Atlantis and Melkbosstrand

• Dedicated busway on Racecourse Road, in Milnerton opens and new service between Dunoon and Century City starts

• V&A Waterfront to Camps Bay

• Civic Centre to Hout Bay, via Sea Point Main Road

• Civic Centre to Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain (subject to finalisation of discussions with the bus and minibus taxi industry)

10Who is MyCiTi for?

MyCiTi is for everybody, rich and poor, young and old, able-bodied and disabled. The high quality of the service has led some to conclude that it is an elite service. On the contrary MyCiTi is designed to provide a safe, efficient, comfortable service to satisfy the needs of the large proportion of Cape Town’s citizens who depend on public transport, as well as to encourage those who own a car to leave their vehicles at homes and use public transport instead.

comparison to other public transport services, while maintaining fares at a competitive level. For example, the 15km trip on MyCiTi buses from Table View to Civic Centre will cost R9.60 (standard fare in peak hour) on the distance-based fare model, compared with a similar-distance trip from Wynberg to Cape Town on the train (R9.70 in Metroplus) or by existing bus service (R12.70).

In addition, as part of a new distance-based fare system, MyCiTi will offer cheaper travel outside of peak hours (weekdays from 6:30 to 8:30 and 16:00 to 18:00). Special travel packages (money loaded in amounts of R80, R100, R150, R200, R400, R600 and R1 000) will save passengers 30% in both peak and off-peak times.