The City of Cape Town has developed a concept plan for the major refurbishment of the Wynberg public transport interchange (PTI). The concept plan will be available for public comment from 7 November 2022 to 9 December 2022.
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The City of Cape Town says the current facility is rundown and stretched way beyond its capacity, with nearly 48 000 commuters, 1 500 minibus taxis and GABS buses making use of the PTI daily.
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas said:
“With the imminent upgrade of the PTI comes a substantial capital injection that will have an immediate impact on the Wynberg CBD and surrounding neighbourhood. This will spur much-needed rejuvenation in conjunction with the provision of world-class public transport facilities.”
According to the City Quintas, the officials from the Urban Mobility Directorate are presenting the proposed concept design for the refurbishment to the local sub-council and residents and interested parties will have the opportunity to comment on this plan from 7 November 2022 to 9 December 2022.
The Wynberg PTI is located in the vicinity of the Wynberg railway station, with thousands of minibus taxis held on Morom Road in particular.
The concept design for the refurbished PTI proposes two minibus taxi facilities:
- The upgraded facilities will be located to the north and east of the Wynberg railway station.
- A new facility with two levels, located between Brisbane Road and Morom Road, bordering Wetton and Broad Roads. The ground level of the facility is for minibus taxis serving the Cape Town CBD and the upper level is for the minibus taxis serving the metro-southeast.
- An upgraded single-level facility, located between Ottery Road and the railway line, for minibus taxis serving destinations in Grassy Park and the South.
- Two stations for the future MyCiTi service, located along Station Road and a realigned Sussex Road.
- Drop-off and pick-up points for GABS buses.
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“The concept design pursues a vision for a Wynberg PTI that is modern, functional, efficient, convenient, safe, dignified and clean and where commuters can easily transfer between the different modes of transport, from passenger rail to minibus taxis, GABS, and the MyCiTi service,” said Quintas.
The Councillor explained that the current PTI is in a poor state, due to a lack of investment in prior years and the facility is not big enough to accommodate all of the commuters and operators using the facility, saying:
“The surrounding transport infrastructure – these are the roads and walkways – is old, and insufficient for the traffic volume, be it for pedestrians, or vehicles. Commuters and operators are subjected to sun, rain, and wind all year long as there is no protection from the elements. Even the paving is uneven.”
In addition, the proposed concept design aims to address all of these challenges, while at the same time making provision for the roll-out of the MyCiTi service to Wynberg within the next few years.
“We want to create a pleasant and dignified environment which will encourage potential customers, besides commuters, to visit the area. It is an exciting project, and I’m sure commuters, operators, local residents and business owners will support our efforts in giving this part of Wynberg a significant capital injection,” Councillor Quintas added.
The current situation at the Wynberg PTI:
- Nearly 48 000 commuters use the facility on weekdays.
- About 1 500 minibus taxis and GABS buses operate to and from the facility.
- The facility is a central point for commuters travelling to and from 30 destinations across Cape Town, from the CBD to Hout Bay, the metro-south east and the Southern suburbs.
- The current facility is stretched beyond capacity, with no formal holding area for the minibus taxis between peak-hour periods.
- The surrounding streets are congested to a point where traffic flow is nearly impossible for both minibus-taxis and other vehicles.
- Pedestrian safety is compromised as the existing walkways or sidewalks cannot accommodate the large numbers.
- Anti-social behaviour and urban blight are common features, given that the area is under immense pressure due to capacity constraints.
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Facts about the proposed refurbishment of the Wynberg PTI:
- The newly upgraded facilities will be located to the north and east of the Wynberg railway station.
- It will cover an area of approximately 25 000m², with additional bus and walking and cycling lanes, road upgrades, and hard and soft landscaping.
- It will add sufficient capacity to accommodate the current and projected demands of public transport users and operators.
- It will include holding areas for minibus taxis between peak-hour periods.
- It will include offices, washing facilities, ablutions, security and cleaning services for the minibus-taxi operators.
- It will include ablution facilities and accessible walkways and ramps for commuters, covered loading lanes and waiting areas.
- It will ensure commuters can seamlessly and conveniently transfer between passenger rail, minibus-taxis, GABS, and the MyCiTi bus service.
- It will improve general safety and security through design elements and additional lighting.
- It will include facilities for traders on the ground floor and first levels to coincide with pedestrian movement – thus, having the traders where the most visitors are. A trading plan will be developed by Economic Development in conjunction with the local traders.
- The facility will include a MyCiTi station and holding bays on both the east and west side of the Wynberg railway station and Prasa railway tracks.
- The facility will include holding and loading bays for GABS.
Proposed upgrades to surrounding roads:
- The vehicle underpass under the railway tracks and its access ramps will be turned into a pedestrian only-zone.
- The existing pedestrian underpass under the railway tracks to the south of the railway station will be upgraded.
- Maynard Road between Main and Station Roads will be.
- The link between Morom and Station Roads will be closed at Church Street.
- Sussex Road, past the existing eastern taxi facility, will be realigned to allow more space for the new eastern minibus taxi facility.
- The northern end of Sussex Road will be realigned into Bexhill Road to facilitate access to the Wynberg Mosque.
- The realigned intersection of Sussex and Ottery Roads will be signalised.
- The intersection of Morom and Wetton Roads may be signalised, pending further investigations.
- A west-to-north right-turn lane will be added to Broad Road at the Broad and Brisbane Roads intersection.
- The realigned Sussex Road will be a one-way southbound, reserved for busses.
- Maynard Road, currently a one-way westbound, will be converted to a one-way eastbound.
- Church Street, between Main Road and Station Road, currently a one-way eastbound, will be converted to a one-way westbound.
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Meanwhile, due to capacity constraints, minibus taxis are obstructing walkways. The newly proposed concept plan for the PTI will provide holding facilities, and the area will be turned into a pedestrian-friendly environment with accessible walkways under cover, where possible.
“We will use design elements to improve safety and security, and with additional lighting, we will create a safe and dignified space. The proposed one-way conversions and upgraded intersections will assist with traffic flow and smoothen the road-based public transport services to ensure efficient operations,” explained Quintas.
“This concept design is not final, and we will assess all of the comments and proposals we receive from stakeholders and residents and interested and affected parties in coming weeks,” concludes Councillor Quintas.
If all goes as planned, the detailed design should be concluded by the end of 2023, taking into account the comments submitted by the public on the concept design.
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Picture: City of Cape Town/ Facebook