The City of Cape Town has started construction of two new MyCiTi bus depots.

The R340-million project forms part of the roll-out of the MyCiTi service to Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Claremont and Wynberg.

It is estimated that 145 buses will be operating from each one of the depots, making it 290 buses in total.

However, this number may increase over time, depending on future demand for the service, City of Cape Town Urban Mobility MMC Rob Quintas tells Engineering News & Mining Weekly.

“The roll-out of the service to Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha will be undertaken in phases as infrastructure becomes available and the necessary operating contracts are put in place,” he notes.

“The first buses, although not on dedicated red busways, are expected to operate by mid-2025, if all goes as planned and if there are no delays, as part of the earlier operational milestone dates servicing the Nyanga/Central Business District route and the Wynberg/Claremont to Khayelitsha/Mitchells Plain route.”

The two new bus depots will be built on a 15 ha piece of land on the corner of Mew way and Spine road, situated between Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha.

The first construction work was already visible by mid-August.

“The city’s expenditure on the roll-out of the MyCiTi service to the south-east is the biggest financial investment in public transport by any metro city to date,” says City of Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

“With the expansion of the MyCiTi service, we will be bringing more MyCiTi routes to Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha to connect commuters with Claremont and Wynberg.

“This is a mammoth undertaking and we are doing it in phases,” says Hill-Lewis.

“Residents from these areas will see new infrastructure being built in the coming 36 months, be it the widening of roads, MyCiTi stations and stops, and depots needed to operate the service.

“I am proud to say that the new bus depots will be state-of-the-art facilities, designed to use our scarce and limited resources to maximum benefit,” notes Hill-Lewis.

The depot buildings will be orientated and shaped in response to the sun’s movement, while they will also use saw-tooth roofs to channel reflective light into the interior to minimise the need for artificial light.

Motion sensors will be linked to all internal lighting to keep electricity use to a minimum.

The orientation of the buildings will also limit the need for air conditioning, making the buildings more energy efficient.

“As for water, we estimate that up to 80% of the water to be used at the bus washing facility will be recycled,” explains Hill-Lewis.

“We will harvest rainwater from the roofs, and install water-wise toilets with water flow control.”

Sustainable urban drainage systems in the form of permeable paving have also been incorporated at the large bus staging areas to allow for the replenishment of the underground water table.

Local Benefits
Quintas notes that local residents and subcontractors from the surrounding communities are set to benefit from the 32-month-long depot construction projects through temporary employment opportunities and contracts.

“Temporary employment and training opportunities to the value of at least R22-million will be available to local jobseekers.

“Also, the contract between the city and the construction company stipulates that local subcontractors should be contracted to supply goods and services to the value of R40.8-million.

“Thus, our local communities will have the opportunity to earn an income while this construction project is ongoing, and hopefully this injection will give them a foothold in the market,” says Quintas.

The bus depots are set to provide a secure site where buses can be held while not operating; office administration facilities for the bus operating companies; facilities for drivers to rest and eat between shifts; as well as the infrastructure required for maintenance, refuelling and washing.