Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis together with mayoral committee member for urban mobility, Rob Quintas, visited the Kuyasa MyCiti station to inspect the repair and upgrade work done after it was previously completely stripped and destroyed by vandals.
Mr Hill-Lewis said when he became mayor in late 2021, there was nothing left at the station.
He said he was very sad about that and they have gone through a project of restoration with most of the infrastructure reinstated and fixed. A few kiosks and offices still need repairs.
He said the first step of repairing the station was to put up fencing and appoint a 24-hour security company.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, buses were running but there was not enough security. “This bus station is now looking beautiful with upgrades and repair works nearly complete. It is now a safe and welcoming place for commuters and local residents.
“It was heart-warming to see residents using the station to not only catch buses but also just as a place to relax in the beautiful garden. We even heard how one local resident proposed to his girlfriend here.”
Mr Hill-Lewis said the City of Cape Town’s MyCiti infrastruture expansion across the metro’s south-east will gain momentum this year, with new roads and intersections, bridges, a sky circle and more.
Some projects are nearing completion while others are beyond the half-way mark including bus lane and related infrastructure for the MyCiti bus service to link commuters from Khayelitsha, Mitchell’s Plain and other communities to Wynberg and Claremont.
He said the existing MyCiti N2 Express service between Mitchell’s Plain and Khayelitsha and the CBD is already among the busiest routes in the city. The south-east route development would add add more options for safe, affordable and reliable public transport.
He said the metro-south east MyCiti expansion is the biggest financial investment in public transport by any metro with over R6bn allocated in the current three-year budget cycle.
Mr Quintas said he was proud to say that as much as they are focused on keeping Capetonians moving, their efforts go beyond providing infrastructure to also enhance commuter comfort.
He said precinct-level interventions like these which had been done here in Kuyasa have a huge impact on commuters’ personal experience.
He said since the enhancement in Kuyasa, the community had played a big part a big in keeping the area clean and tidy and have come out to enjoy picnics, and also mentioned the marriage proposal.
