Early on Saturday, 19 February morning the MyCiTi N2 Express service returned to the metro-south east with the first buses departing shortly after 05:00 from Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha to the Civic Centre station in Cape Town. Getting the N2 Express service back on the road is a major achievement for the City of Cape Town and our operating partners, the N2 Company equally owned by Lisekhonikamva (Codeta) from Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain Rapid Transit (Route Six from Mitchells Plain) and the Golden Arrow Bus Service (Gabs).
At around 14:30 this afternoon, the directors of the N2 Company, the City Manager, and senior officials joined me and Councillor Rob Quintas, the Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, on a trip on the N2 Express service. We travelled from the Civic Centre station to Kuyasa in Khayelitsha, and took our return trip from the Town Centre station in Mitchells Plain.
Over 6 000 commuters travelled on the N2 Express service daily before it was suspended in May 2019. Today I want to say to these commuters: we are back; we are here to serve you and to make sure the service is efficient, on time, safe, and comfortable.
I was very proud to be on the bus and see this route resume and I want to thank Cllr Quintas, our Executive Director Dalene Campbell, and all the city officials involved in getting the route back up and running. And it is easy to use the service – one tap with your myconnect card and you are on the bus.
A functional, safe and affordable public transport system is how we grow the economy and connect people to job opportunities to improve the lives of all residents. It is also how we create pride amongst residents.
Capetonians trust the MyCiTi brand and the service. Equally, I can assure all that the N2 Company and its employees are dedicated and committed to run an efficient, professional service that runs on time, with friendly and helpful staff.
I want to thank the N2 Company who will be operating the service. Thank you for your commitment to return the service to commuters from the metro-south east. I also want to reiterate my gratitude to City officials for their dedication and hard work leading up to the signing of the contract.
Also, we are reintroducing the N2 Express service in three phases with more buses joining the fleet with each phase. The intention is to add buses over the next four weeks as more commuters return and the demand for the service increases.
We aim to have the whole fleet of 34 buses operational by 19 March 2022. The buses will travel to the Civic Centre station in the Cape Town CBD via the N2 freeway.
The phasing of the routes will take place as follows:
- Phase 1: 19 February to 4 March 2022 (D01, D02, D04)
- Phase 2: 5 March to 18 March 2022 (D01, D02, D04)
- Phase 3: 19 March onwards (D01, D02, D03, D04)
Commuters can find the time schedules and latest information about the routes on our website at www.myciti.org.za, or phone the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63. The TIC is available 24/7.
Commuters will notice that a number of the bus shelters along the four routes in Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain are in a state of disrepair due to vandalism and theft. We are prioritising these for urgent repair, but for now the service must resume for residents. I want to urge residents to support us and help protect infrastructure that is there for their benefit.
A combination of 12-metre low-floor buses and 18-metre low-floor buses – have been serviced and prepared for operations, and bus drivers recruited and trained.
The return of the N2 Express service is an important moment of progress in Cape Town.