THE bus and taxi industries in eThekwini have expressed their resounding support for the GO!Durban project which is set to be launched in December.

This was heard during a media briefing on Sunday, September 6, at the ICC where eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba outlined the City’s roadmap on the project.

Representing the bus sector, Vickesh Maharaj said despite the wait since 2012, the project is supported by the associations within the bus industry.

“As the bus industry, we support the City in the launch of C3 and look forward to the launch of the other phases,” said Maharaj.

Representing the taxi industry, Santaco chair Mathula Mkhize said it was appreciated that the municipality had finally brought all stakeholders to one table so that agreements can be reached.

“I want to stand firm that we have come across a City which now has an ear to listen to Santaco,” said Mkhize.

He added that it is important to remember that the GO!Durban project is for the benefit of commuters.

City Manager Musa Mbhele assured that the main issue which had been raised by the Ministry of Transport, which was to see buses on the project’s routes, has been addressed.

Also read: GO! Durban rollout to prioritise Bridge City-Pinetown corridor

The head of the eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA), Neli Zama, said additional funds will be required for the running of the service and maintenance of infrastructure.

Zama explained that it had been decided that the initial launch would be the Bridge City – Pinetown route because substantial infrastructure has already been built on it, and that other phases are set to follow in the coming year.

Zama said the City was currently assessing the extent of the damage on the project’s stations and fixing it where necessary.

“But most of the infrastructure was not badly damaged because of the security we had but inclement weather may have caused damages in some parts but we are fixing all of that,” said Zama.

Xaba said the municipality was pleased that common ground has been reached among the stakeholders, which include the provincial and national departments of transport.

“This paves the way for the service to go live in December this year,” said Xaba.

Xaba said these were the key issues discussed by the stakeholders:

• Fleet ownership: The City will procure 22 buses that will operate on the main GO!Durban route, while operators will procure the feeder transport through their Vehicle Operating Company (VOC).
• Contract structure: There will be a three-year stop-gap contract, followed by a negotiated 12-year contract.
• Declaring dividends: The City will be responsible for paying the VOC to operate the service. The VOCs will settle on dividends with its shareholders.
• Value-chain opportunities: Both the City and affected operators have settled what either party will be responsible for in terms of value chain opportunities.
• Skills development: 75% of employees will be sourced from the displaced pool.
• Compensation for vehicles: Compensation will be calculated based on the affected operator’s business value, including current profits and period of operating licences.

“We are pleased that these overarching negotiation principles have now been addressed. This creates a clear pathway towards the formalisation of industry participation and the implementation of the first GO!Durban services,” said Xaba.

For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Click to subscribe to our newsletter here