JOHANNESBURG – Almost two decades later, Msunduzi Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla says the first bus for the City’s Integrated Public Transport Network System (IPTNS) programme will be on the road by December 2026.
More than R1-billion in public funds has already been spent on the stalled system, one of the capital city’s costliest white elephants.
In January, Parliament expressed concern about the programme’s possible collapse, warning it could become a “white elephant” if no action was taken. At the time of the oversight visit, the project was only 20 percent complete.
Planning for the project began in the 2008/09 financial year, with construction starting in 2016.
By 2019, delays in implementation led to the suspension of the City’s IPTNS grant. The municipality had to lobby Treasury and the National Department of Transport to regain funding.
For the current year, the project has been allocated R100-million, and the municipality says it is moving forward with implementation.
"There were delays due to objections by various contractors during the tendering stage, but our people are witnesses that Moses Mabhida Road is now ready," said Thebolla.
"In terms of infrastructure, we upgraded the road. It has been widened and equipped with the necessary infrastructure. I can safely say the first bus will be on the road by December."
The municipality intends to procure 22 buses initially. Thebolla noted that changes in leadership within the taxi industry had previously caused problems, leading to project stagnation.
"We had to restart engagements with the taxi industry, especially those involved in the public transport domain. We have now reached an agreement with the bus services," he said.