Cape Town - After three years of terminated service, MyCiti’s N2 Express service is set to resume later this month as the fleet of 34 buses - which will connect Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha and Cape Town CBD - are undergoing their final mechanical checks.
A fleet of 34 buses, consisting of 12-metre and 18-metre low-floor buses, are undergoing their final checks before roadworthy testing and licensing in order for the official relaunch of the N2 Express service later this month.
The inspections cover interior and exterior components, as well as for mechanical and electrical faults,
“They are also inspecting the tyres, batteries, doors, ramps, communication devices, bells, seats, and the on-board validators where the passengers tap in and out, as well as the cameras,” Cape Town’s Mayco Member for Urban Mobility Rob Quintas said on Wednesday, following a visit to the depot on Tuesday.
“Thereafter, the buses will be deep-cleaned and fumigated, and washed, and then taken for the roadworthy testing and licensing,” he added.
Some 6 000 commuters from historically disadvantaged areas of Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha are set to benefit from the resumption of the service later this month, the exact date is yet to be determined and announced by Quintas.
The fleet of buses are owned by Cape Town’s local government, however, managed and maintained by the N2 Company which will operate the N2 Express route.
For three years 6 000 commuters were without the service after contracts were not renewed in 2019 due to a dispute among the route’s taxi industry shareholders, the Cape Argus revealed in January.
However, the City of Cape Town signed a new contract this year with the N2 Company - an equally owned company between taxi associations Lisekhonikamva from Khayelitsha, Route 6 from Mitchells Plain, in addition to Golden Arrow.
The signing of the contract was described as a major achievement and proved vital for the return of the buses to Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha, that are located approximately 27-36km from Cape Town’s CBD.
IOL