Housing in Southern Africa February 2016

Infrastructure & Mixed Use

T he City of Cape Town Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille says that the inception of theMyCiTi service in 2012 has significantly im- proved the quality of life of residents through access to affordable, decent and safe public transport. Approximately 38,5 million pas- senger journeys have been recorded to date, and in November alone over 1,5 million passengers used the service. De Lille says that as the city ex- tends the footprint of the MyCiTi ser- vice, “We also have a responsibility to lower our carbon emissions and the impact of pollution on the urban envi- ronment. Cities across the world will soon reach a point where alternative The City of Cape Town will issue a tender for the procurement of electric buses for the MyCiTi service, in line with the city’s commitment to lowering carbon emissions. City opts for electric buses

fuel for public transport is no longer a choice but a prerequisite. And, the City of Cape Town has decided to ex- pand its current fleet of diesel buses with electric ones.” A tender for the procurement of a fleet of 12-metre electric buses will be advertised in February 2016. The city is also considering electric double-decker buses for longer distance trips as they have more seating. The tender specifies that the electric buses should be able to travel a distance of 250 km in traffic before the batteries need recharging. Apart from the buses, the successful bidder must also provide the city with the charging stations for the buses and the necessary training for the bus drivers and mechanical engineers. Researchers have made great ad- vances in the development of electric buses over the past decade, some of which were presented at the African Union of Public Transport Workshop, hosted by Transport for Cape Town last year. De Lille says, “If all goes according to plan, Cape Town will be the first municipality in the country to benefit from the latest alternative

fuel technology and we will be the first city in Africa to use electric buses for public transport.” Apart from electric buses being eco-friendly with zero carbon emis- sions and the use of solar power charging stations, a green fleet of- fers numerous advantages. The operational cost of electric buses is significantly lower – not only in terms of fuel, but also in relation to maintenance as there are fewer parts to service. This initiative directly supports the city’s commitment to the Paris Pledge for Action at COP21 and, as amember of the C40 Cities to take progressive action and lead the way in reducing energy consumption and emissions. The City’s Energy 2040 Strategy sets carbon targets and projects like this will help to ensure they are reached. Transport for Cape Town has re- searched and is exploring the most appropriate mechanism for the pro- curement of solar technology to off- set the energy required for the electric bus fleet, thereby further reducing emissions. This is in addition to the carbon credits the city will earn. ■

February 2016