Hout Bay residents’ demands for more MyCiTi buses were met after they raised a stink on social media last week.
Residents on Facebook called out MyCiTi on Wednesday May 15, after not being picked up at their stops.
Graham du Plessis, a resident in the area, said the Route 109 bus, which runs between Hout Bay, Imizamo Yethu, Sea Point and the Adderley Street station, was usually full by 7.30am.
“The bus is full after collecting passengers at Berg en Dal. Nobody can get on at Imizamo Yethu – many people will struggle to get to work yet again. If you don’t get on at Military, Scott, or Berg en Dal, you don’t get on the bus. The bus is totally full by the time it reaches Imizamo Yethu.
“Come on, MyCiTi, there were supposed to be extra buses, put on. Where are they? People want to get on with their lives.”
Another resident, Zahra Kassam, said: “This happens to me every morning at the Scott stop. By the time the bus reaches the stop, it’s so overcrowded, and there’s no space to sit or stand.”
Shortly after residents aired their grievances, ward councillor Roberto Quintas said in a statement that the possibility of more buses and MyCiTi kiosks was being investigated.
“We appreciate the severity of the situation and assure you that we will coordinate a viable and sustainable solution as soon as possible. We assure you that this is a priority, and as soon as the new schedule and programme has been finalised, this will be communicated to the public.”
On Monday, the City’s mayoral committee member for transport, Felicity Purchase, told the Sentinel News that “the Hout Bay service has now been supplemented with two-to-four buses during the peak-hour periods”.
Ms Purchase also said: “This is a temporary arrangement while we monitor the additional passenger demand for the MyCiTi service along this route. An analysis of the passenger demand along this route will determine whether this needs to be a permanent arrangement, and if so, the timetables will be amended accordingly.”
