Masiphumelele’s new taxi rank is open for business, promising to make life a little easier for commuters.
Work started on the
R16 million project in May last
year, and mayoral committee member for transport and urban
planning Felicity Purchase cut the
ribbon and declared it open last Friday as residents and community leaders gathered near the rank, on the corner of Kommetjie and Pokela roads, to watch.
The rank, with six loading lanes and space for 65 minibus taxis, is designed for about
4 000 short- and long-haul commuters to use 24/7 (Taxi rank to make commuters’ life easy,” Echo, April 11).
It has shelter from the elements, walking lanes for those with special needs, wheelchair-friendly toilets and a waiting area for long-distance commuters. The rank has solar panels on its roof and rainwater will be harvested and stored in
9 000-litre tanks.
Ms Purchase thanked the community for their support, and she gave community leaders certificates of appreciation
on behalf of the City of Cape Town.
The rank has entrances in Chasmay and Pokela roads and exits in Tambo and Pokela roads.
The old rank, east of Pokela Road, had no toilets or walkways and drain blockages caused flooding of the facility.
The stormwater system at the new facility had been upgraded to prevent winter flooding, Ms Purchase said.
Masiphumelele Taxi Association (MASITA) chairman, Mandulo Melikhaya, said the new rank was a boon for commuters and it would benefit taxi owners and the community as a whole.
He suggested a fence be built between the rank and Kommetjie Road for “safety reasons”.
Masita secretary and community leader, Ricky Mve, said taxi owners could now operate as “business people and not taxi people”.
The association vowed to provide commuters with a good service, he said. Commuters should not hesitate to report bad driving.
Community leader Nompucuko Lupondo was happy the rank had finally opened, but she said there wasn’t enough shelter for commuters queueing in the rain, and the boardroom was very small.
Ms Purchase said about R942 000 had been spent on temporary work opportunities for local residents and R118 300 had been paid to Masiphumelele subcontractors.
