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Is this the end of the road for Nelson Mandela Bay’s IPTS buses?

By

Dear Editor

After 14 years and an investment of R4 billion it seems as if the Nelson Mandela Bay Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) has unfortunately reached the end of the road. The beleaguered transport system was stopped altogether some three months ago leaving some of the poorest communities in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) stranded without reliable public transport.

The DA has a firm position that affordable transport for our poorest communities is a critical link in the opportunity ladder out of poverty and into opportunity.

Although Council has recently mooted a plan to revive the system, significant uncertainty exists over the future of the project.

The IPTS project has been marred by controversy since its inception. Not only did NMB struggle to get the IPTS implemented over a period of nearly a decade, but tens of millions of Rands were also syphoned off the project by corrupt politicians and officials over the years. As a result of the Metro’s inability to get the IPTS properly on track, National Treasury has more than once threatened to pull the plug altogether.

If National Treasury decides to stop funding the project, it will mean that the IPTS project would have reached the end of the road as the Metro can’t afford to fund the operation itself. The longer the project remains defunct the bigger the likelihood that National Treasury will pull the plug.

The DA believes that although the IPTS project has many problems, it can still be successfully resuscitated so that the people of NMB can have a safe, reliable and affordable public transportation system.

The DA’s five-point plan to save the IPTS includes:

  1. Appointing an IPTS project manager that has extensive expertise in Public Transport to implement a turnaround plan.
  2. Refurbish some of the ageing fleet as well as disposing of some of the fleet;
  3. Adopt a ten-year development plan for the system.
  4. Benchmarking the operational cost of the system with other similar systems to make it more cost efficient.
  5. Improved integration of the taxi industry in our public transportation system.

NMB deserves a reliable public transport system that works. Together we can rescue Nelson Mandela Bay and get the Metro working again.

Regards

Cllr Rano Kayser
DA NMB Spokesperson for Roads and Transport

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