MITCHELL'S PLAIN
41 Induland Cres. Lansdowne Ind. Since 1998
Supplier of a wide range of disposable packaging • All types of Paper, Plastic bags • Cake, Pizza, Party boxes • Serviettes, Garage, Toilet rolls • Cling, Bubble, Lunch wrap • Cutlery, Straws, Heatsealers
• Cups, Tubs, Lids • Fomo Trays, Plates • Foil Trays, Rolls • Platters, Domes • Detergents, etc
Tel: 021 691 8811 E-mail: info@carlierpackaging.co.za
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TUESDAY 3 March 2020 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za
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The Mitchell’s Plain MyCiTi bus depot at Town Centre remains closed. PHOTO: SAMANTHA LEE-JACOBS
TOWN CENTRE
Commuters still in limbo SAMANTHA LEE-JACOBS SAMANTHA.LEE@PEOPLESPOST.CO.ZA @SAMANTHA_LEE121
A
round 20 000 monthly MyCiTi bus commuters who made use of the N2 Express line are still stranded following a nine-month suspension as a result of a lapsed contract. The operating contract between the City of Cape Town and the joint venture came to an end at the end of May 2019 and the service has since been suspended. The joint venture is made up of the Route 6 Taxi Association, Golden Arrow Bus services (GABS) and the Cape Organisation of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta). “The operating contract with the current shareholders of the N2 Express service came to an end on Friday 31 May 2019. The contract initially entered into was for a period of three years and thereafter extended for 23 months,” says Mayco member for transport, Felicity Purchase.
“We have left no stone unturned to conclude a new agreement with the current shareholders of the N2 Express service. The City has, over the past few months, hosted a number of engagements with the shareholders in an effort to resolve the matter; and the national department of transport also hosted meetings with the shareholders,” says Purchase. Following the suspension of the service, the City issued notice for an interim operator in September last year. “The City of Cape Town regrets to inform MyCiTi commuters that the N2 Express Company shareholders have failed to meet the deadline for the service to be reinstated on Saturday 28 September 2019. Given that the City now has to proceed with a supply chain management process to appoint an interim service provider, the N2 Express service will only start operating by December 2019, if all goes as planned,” reads a statement issued by Purchase. The City advertised a request for quotation (RFQ) calling on vehicle operating
companies to submit bids for operating the N2 Express service between Mitchell’s Plain and Khayelitsha and the Cape Town central business district (CBD) on an interim basis. “The interim service provider will operate the four N2 Express routes until such time as the City has appointed a permanent vehicle operating company to provide the N2 Express service for a five year period,” the statement continued. While Golden Arrow Bus services and the Route 6 Taxi Association both confirmed in writing their commitment to continue in time for the deadline, Codeta did not. “The City cannot wait any longer for the shareholders to set aside their internal disagreements. Neither do we have the mandate to intervene in matters that are for the shareholders to resolve,” continues Purchase. Codeta has since laid criminal charges against the City, demanding new terms for the contract and expressing its unhappiness with regard to what it calls “irregulari-
ties”. Codeta did not wish to comment any further on this matter. In a statement released by the organisation, it said the City had acknowledged irregularities and had jumped the gun in advertising the interim contract. “The City, the mayor, parties from the national department of transport and [Transport] MEC [Bongani] Madikizela alike have publicly acknowledged the irregularities which persisted under the N2 Express contract, and yet the City as the transport authority seeks to perpetuate the same irregularities over another interim term,” said Codeta in the statement. In filing a court interdict against the City, Codeta said: “Shortly after the matter was heard in court, the parties embarked on negotiations with a view to find a solution that would secure the resumption of the service as soon as possible, however this process failed as the divide between the parties and stakeholders was far too great.” V Continued on page 2.
S P E C T A C L E S E L E C T SALE 2 PAIRS
OF SPECTACLES FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
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Shop 212, Promenade Mall, Mitchells Plain
WATERGATE BRANCH
021 376 2769 / 021 376 4408
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Watergate Mall, c/o Stock Rd & AZ Berman, MitchellsPlain Stock Rd & AZ Berman, MitchellsPlain
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