World Cup triumphs over needs of poor in Cape Town

Wednesday, 04 November 2009 09:10

Facing massively increased costs for the implementation of its Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system, a red-faced City of Cape Town has promised to deliver those aspects of the IRT which needed for the World Cup.

BY PETER LUHANGA

But concerns have been raised that the subsequent phases which have now been postponed and would be most beneficial to poor commuters, will fall by the wayside after the international soccer tournament.

The City¹s initial cost estimates for IRT Phase1A were R1.32 billion in August 2008. But in August this month, after interrogating the figures, the city announced the budget had more than doubled, to R3.5 billion.

It has subsequently postponed the full rollout of IRT Phase1A, focusing only on the minimum needed for the World Cup.

A full investigation into the cost escalations has now revealed that costs have ballooned to R4.2 billion, and disciplinary procedures have been instituted against a senior city staff member.

The city remains committed to delivering for the World Cup, but Premier Helen Zille, under whose watch the IRT was commissioned, has said the city would not spend money it didn¹t have.

Instead, subsequent implementation of the IRT would take place at the pace at which money was received from national government sources, said Zille, and a report before a full council meeting on Thursday stated all IRT infrastructure will lie dormant for 14 months after the 2010 event.

This is bad news for residents in far-flung and impoverished Atlantis who were to benefit from an initial Phase1A route to the city, as World Cup commitments translate into only delivering IRT match day shuttle services in the CBD, CBD feeder services and a trunk service to the airport.

Questions are also being asked about subsequent phases which would service other poor areas such as Khayelitsha, Delft and Blue Downs.

It would be "extremely regrettable" if problems in the operational and planning of Phase1 prejudiced the implementation of subsequent phases directed at serving the needs of Cape Town's disadvantaged communities, said Associate Professor Peter Wilkinson at the University of Cape Town's School of Architecture, Planning & Geomatics.

"It may well become necessary to reconsider the original, possibly overambitious intentions embodied in the IRT plan and to downscale the proposed changes. If this is the case, I believe it is critically important that the problems confronted on a daily basis by people who have no choice other than to use public transport remain at the centre of any new planning and receive the highest priority in any new programme of investment in improved facilities and services," said Wilkinson.

Any response to the current difficulties faced by the city which was limited to accommodating the short term demands of 2010 World Cup visitors could not be justified, he said.

Atlantis residents, currently paying R32 for a single trip by bus to the city, expressed dismay at the latest news of the IRT delay.

Paraplegic Atlantis resident Whilma Liedman (39) said Atlantis always fell through the cracks when it came to city planning.

"A few years ago they erected a train station but it's just lying there like a white elephant."

City IRT head Mike Marsden said the city had enough "money to build the 2010 requirements".

"If we get enough money we will be able to build it out to Atlantis," said Marsden.

He said the city was just being careful and prudent in tough economic times.