Cape Town - More good news has come for those making use of the MyCiti N2 Express route from Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha to the City.
The route, which came back into operation in February after nearly three years of being out of service, will soon boast water-wise and electricity efficient depots.
The two new bus depots will be built on a 15ha piece of land on the corner of Mew Way and Spine Road and it is anticipated that the depots will be completed by mid-2025, if all goes as planned.
The City's mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis welcomed the initiative, adding that more routes to Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha to connect commuters with Claremont and Wynberg will be introduced.
“This is a mammoth undertaking and we are doing it in phases. Residents from these areas will see new infrastructure being built in the coming 36 months, be it with the widening of roads, MyCiTi stations and stops, and depots needed to operate the service.
“The new bus depots in the metro-south east will be state-of-the-art facilities, designed to use our scarce and limited resources to maximum benefit. The buildings will be orientated and shaped in response to the sun's direction and utilise sawtooth roofs to channel reflective light into the buildings to minimise the need for artificial light.
“Motion sensors will be linked to all internal lighting to keep electricity usage to a minimum. The designers also took care to orient the buildings for optimal sunlight and wind direction so the need for air conditioning will be limited as well, making the buildings more energy efficient.
“As for water, we estimate that up to 80% of the water to be used at the bus washing facility will be recycled. We will harvest rain water from the roofs, and install water-wise toilets with water flow control,” said Hill-Lewis.
The City said residents and business in the area stand to benefit from the project through job opportunities.
Mayco member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas said temporary employment and training opportunities to the value of at least R22million will be available to local jobs seekers.