EMBARGOED AGAINST DELIVERY AT 17:00 ON 20 OCTOBER 2014
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
20 OCTOBER 2014
SPEECH BY THE CITY’S EXECUTIVE MAYOR, PATRICIA DE LILLE, AT THE
UNVEILING OF THE TRANSPORT FOR CAPE TOWN MOBILE
APPLICATION (APP) ON 20 OCTOBER 2014
The MEC for Transport in the Western Cape, Donald Grant
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, Councillor
Brett Herron
The Commissioner: Transport for Cape Town, Melissa Whitehead
Councillors
Developers, planners, members of the transport industry, urbanists, and
honoured guests.
Good evening, goeie aand, molweni, as-salaam alaikum, shalom.
A quality public transport system is essential to ensuring that Cape Town
reaches its full potential.
It is essential for ensuring economic growth.
It is not merely access to transport.
It is access to opportunity.
Mobility determines our residents’ access to work opportunities, quality
education and public health facilities.
Mobility is the gateway to accessing economic and other opportunities,
especially for those who live on the periphery as a result of apartheid-era
spatial planning.
We are committed to building an inclusive city dedicated to redress and to
providing decent, affordable and accessible public transport to our residents.
The City of Cape Town is using its transport authority, Transport for Cape Town
(TCT), as the vehicle to deliver our vision of an integrated transport system.
Through TCT, the City is implementing its transport vision, as stipulated in our
Integrated Development Plan and Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN)
plan.
Our goal is to establish:
 one public transport network plan
 one management system
 one contracting authority
 one ticket- and timetable system
 one, unified enforcement system
 one fare
 one brand
Commuters will ultimately experience one public transport network that
operates in a customer-focused manner, where the modes connect in a
convenient and sensible way.
Timetables and connections are harmonised across bus and rail, thus making
transport both accessible and seamless.
TCT is central in driving and achieving this outcome.
I am pleased to be unveiling the Transport for Cape Town mobile app today.
The use of this technology will make it significantly easier for residents and
visitors to move around the city.
This app is the first of its kind in Africa to merge the timetables, stops and
stations of all the scheduled public transport services in a city.
This application has two major functions – the first of which is convenient
journey planning.
The system maps of all the scheduled public transport services across the city
– from the MyCiTi bus service, to Metrorail and the Golden Arrow Bus Service
(GABS), to the Jammie shuttle service and the city sightseeing buses – are
available on the app. These maps specify each service provider’s routes,
stations and stops.
The app will tell commuters which mode – bus or rail, or combination of the
two – to use to reach their destination.
The information it provides will also include where to find the closest and most
convenient stops and stations, the distance to the stop or station, and
directions for how to get there.
All departure and arrival times, estimated cumulative journey costs, and the
duration of the trip, will also be accessible through the app.
It will also make taking the MyCiTi bus even easier by enabling commuters to
locate their closest myconnect outlet for MyCiTi-related services, with
information about the services these outlets offer such as top-up, mover
packages, and myconnect card sales.
For those using private transport, the app will offer different route options,
estimated travel time and inform the user about any matters of concern
along the routes such as accidents, roadworks, detours and traffic delays
which may impact on their journey.
The second major function empowers residents to report transport-related
matters such as potholes, faulty traffic lights, flooding, accidents and bad
driver behaviour directly to the City. The exact location can be easily
recorded if the GPS is on and the user will have the option of attaching a
photo with the message to the City.
The TCT app is available for the following smart phones: Windows Phone,
iPhone, Android and Blackberry. To register, users have to enter their mobile
numbers with the additional option of entering an e-mail address.
This application is evidence of how we are pushing the boundaries of
traditional governance.
Our goal is to be the first digital city in Africa, and mobile applications such
these bring us closer to making that a reality.
We want to use technology to improve service delivery, promote
transparency, and to empower residents to hold us accountable.
I am sure that this will lead to us all making even more progress possible,
together.
I thank you.
God bless.
End
Issued by: Integrated Strategic Communication and Branding Department,
City of Cape Town
Media enquiries: Councillor Brett Herron, Mayoral Committee Member:
Transport for Cape Town, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 1298 or Cell: 082 518
3264, E-mail: brett.herron@capetown.gov.za (please always copy
media.account@capetown.gov.za)
Media enquiries: Pierrinne Leukes, Spokesperson for the Executive Mayor –
Patricia de Lille, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 1302 or Cell: 084 272 7614, Email: Pierrinne.leukes@capetown.gov.za