The Executive Mayor made this appeal while addressing community members, taxi industry representatives and stakeholders at the official launch of Transport Month at the Cleary Park Shopping Centre today, October 3, 2017.
“During this month and beyond we are calling on all road users to respect road traffic laws and embrace the plans and implementation of the Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) that will soon be launched at the Cleary Park Route, as working and reliable transport is at the centre of our plans to create a Safe City and a City that works for its people,” Mayor Trollip stated.
“The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, through its Roads and Transport Directorate, led by Cllr Rano Kayser, is working towards launching the first-of-its-kind official IPTS system that will address the inequalities created by the apartheid system, where people of colour were displaced to the peripheral boundaries of the City,” added the Executive Mayor.
The Cleary Park route was selected to initiate the IPTS system, as it has a high volume of commuters and follows Stanford Road, which links the Northern Areas with the Central Business District (CBD).
“Transport is an incentive for any economy to grow; therefore we as a Municipality are prepared to invest in our vision of making Nelson Mandela Bay the country’s Number One destination. In this, building quality infrastructure and a reliable public transport system will be of great importance,” commented MMC Rano Keyser.
Kayser said that his Directorate was also working hard to improve road infrastructure by attending to potholes, road markings, the clearing of stormwater drainage and the construction of pedestrian walkways.
As the Festive Season is fast approaching, the month of October will also serve as a kick-start for municipal Traffic Officers and Metro Police Officers to buckle down on all road users to ensure that everyone uses the roads within the boundaries of the law, thereby protecting the safety of all residents and visitors to the Bay.