1. The NDoT has met with the City several times in bilateral meetings in 2019 to 2022 and has communicated the same consistent message during the period viz. the city needs to scale up to 20 000 passengers a day, reduce costs and increase revenues.
The City has acknowledged the NDoT’s position and indicates it is doing its best to make the required corrections to the project. It is hoping to achieve a turnaround by 2023/24.
Documents capturing the bilateral engagements and correspondence with the City of Ekurhuleni are attached for further details.
2. While progress is not as speedy as desired, the City has been taking incremental turnaround steps to improve the situation. Progress has been made based on the availability of buses and to date the fleet size increased from 8 buses in 2017 to 40 buses during the 2020/21 financial year.
A steady increase in passenger trips has been realised since the services were improved and the network extended to Bartlett Industrial area in 20/21. During the current financial year 1 172 507 passenger trips have been carried by the system with a monthly average of 117 251 passenger trips and approximately 6 000 average weekday passenger trips.
The next challenge is to expand to 10 000 and then 20 000 passenger trips per weekday, to conclude minibus negotiations, compensation and vehicle removal and to start reducing operating unit costs.