The City of Cape Town (CoCT) has completed the construction of two new MyCiTi bus depots as part of the new south–east route expansion that will link Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain with Claremont and Wynberg.

Construction on the R430-million project started in August 2022.

The depots are located at the corner of Spine road and Mew way between Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain. Each 7.5 ha in size, they will house the MyCiTi bus fleet that will operate on the south-east route expansion.

The initial capacity of up to 145 buses each can be scaled up to 250 buses.

The depots also house mechanical workshops, refuelling facilities, office space, a relaxation area for drivers, ablution facilities, as well as automated bus-cleaning equipment.

The depots were also developed with a move to electric buses in mind, with the underground infrastructure necessary for bus charging pre-installed.

“We are delighted that these completed depot projects exceeded their local job and small business targets, creating employment for close to 500 locals in Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha, with 46 local subcontractors also working on the project,” notes CoCT Urban Mobility MMC Rob Quintas.

“The expansion of the MyCiTi service routes comes at an overall investment of R10-billion, the biggest in metro-led public transport by any South African city,” adds Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

Other infrastructure projects to support the MyCiTi route expansion include sky circle construction at Govan Mbeki road (M9) and Jan Smuts drive (M17); bridge construction over Duynefontein and Govan Mbeki roads; the construction of traffic lanes, bus stops, signalling and pedestrian and cycling lanes along Govan Mbeki road; bus lane construction along Turfhall road and AZ Berman; reconstruction of the westbound and eastbound lanes along Stanhope road, Imam Haron road (M24) and Chichester road, including turning lanes at Claremont boulevard, Palmyra road, Ravensworth road, Second Avenue/Livingstone road, Third Avenue and Doncaster road, and the widening of the Stanhope railway bridge.