New MyCiTi bus stops, improved timetables and direct and express routes are on the cards for Melkbosstrand, Atlantis and Parklands.
According to the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, Councilor Brett Herron, “The changes are set to meet the increase in passenger demand and help cut travel time.” The new timetables can be viewed here.
Melkbosstrand:
The Melkbosstrand and Duynefontein services will see some significant changes:
· Route 217, i.e. Table View – Big Bay – Melkbosstrand, will terminate at Melkbosstrand station and will no longer travel to Melkbosch Village
· Route 230, i.e. Duynefontein – Melkbosstrand will connect with Route 217 at Melkbosstrand station and continue via the Melkbosch Village stop, formerly called Melkbosch to Duynefontein
This means that passengers connecting between Table View and Duynefontein no longer need to transfer at Melkbosstrand station. The Route 230 service will no longer serve the Atlantic Beach and Brittlestar stops. Passengers wishing to access these stops can still do so by using the T03 service.
The Waratah stop will be discontinued and a new stop, Birkenhead, on the R27 will be added.
Brittlestar stop:
The Brittlestar stop near Melkbosstrand will now serve both directions of travel and there are four new stops along the R27, Koeberg Power Station, Duynefontein, Melkbosch and Birkenhead, serving the T02 and T03 routes.
Atlantis:
Five new stops will be launched in Atlantis on 28 October. They are:
· Atlantis Cemetery, which will serve Routes 235, 234, 234a and 243
· Swift, which will serve Routes 237 and 242
· Marigold, serving Routes 232, 232a and 241
· Avondale, serving Routes 232, 232a and 241
· Grosvenor North, serving Route 23
Atlantis has seen a steady increase in passenger demand since the launch of the MyCiTi service in the area in 2014. MyCiTi will add a new express service which will help cut the journey time between Atlantis and the Cape Town city centre.
The new X02 Atlantis – Table View – Civic Centre route will travel from Atlantis station, stopping at Sandown, Porterfield and Table View stations and then Racecourse, Woodbridge and Woodstock station and finally to the Civic Centre station. The new X02 will shorten the journey time for passengers.
Atlantis passengers will also be able travel direct from Atlantis to Century City. The T03 route from Atlantis to Omuramba via Table View will be extended to Century City, thus removing the need for passengers to transfer at Omuramba. This direct route will enhance the experience of those commuters who are working or shopping in the busy Century City area. Berkshire West has a new stop on the T03 route, which makes it convenient for Atlantis residents to access the new Table Bay Mall.
Parklands:
MyCiTi will also launch a service that will link residents in Parklands with the Cape Town city centre on the T01 route, without the need to transfer at the Table View station. The new T01d Dunoon – Parklands – Civic Centre route will now travel from Dunoon along Malibongwe Drive and Sandown Road into Parklands and continue to the Civic Centre via the Table View station.
This will provide passengers in Dunoon with a shorter, more direct route to Parklands and its shopping and business hub during the peak times.
Parklands and Sandown Roads are also getting four new MyCiTi stops, i.e. Dartford, Morningfield, Discovery and Sandown East, to give the growing number of people living or working in these areas a convenient link to the service.