“For ordinary people, many of whom live in remote parts of the city, and do not have easy access to economic opportunity, the implementation of the rapid bus transit system in the Klipfontein corridor will make a considerable difference to the quality of their lives,” added Cape Town Mayor, Nomaindia Mfeketo.

Cape Town has identified the Klipfontein Road corridor as the first BRT route, but will only move forward after an extensive public participation program to hear people’s transport needs. Klipfontein Road stretches almost 20km and is one of the one of greater Cape Town’s busiest routes, connecting the majority low-income townships to popular retail destinations and the central business district.

The Klipfontein Corridor will stress pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure over car access. Car parks will be replaced with paved paths and dedicated cycle routes will be constructed.

Last November, Ms. Essop led a delegation to Bogotá to see the city’s successful TransMilenio BRT system, after which Cape Town’s system will be modeled. Cape Town also has plans to dramatically improve facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists both along the new corridor and in the city at large.

ITDP is working closely with Ms. Essop to ensure that the city has the technical resources it needs to create a top-notch transport system. In May, a group of technical experts involved in the creation and operation of TransMilenio will travel to Cape Town to consult on the city’s plans. The trip is funded by support from USAID.