R9 billion transport project finally set to launch in South Africa after 15 years

Durban – The long-delayed Go! Durban public transport network is set to finally begin operating later this year, with the eThekwini Municipality planning a soft launch in October and the first public services on the C3 corridor in December.

According to BusinessTech, the R9-billion Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network has been in development since 2010 but has repeatedly been delayed by issues including utility relocations, land expropriation and lengthy negotiations with bus and taxi operators.

The project was initially expected to be operational around 2018, but the rollout was repeatedly pushed back.

eNCA reports that more than R9 billion has already been spent on the project, which missed its original 2017 deadline.

eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba said recent negotiations with the transport industry had cleared a major hurdle.

“We are pleased that these overarching negotiation principles have now been addressed. This creates a clear pathway towards the formalisation of industry participation and the implementation of the first GO! Durban services,” Xaba said, according to eNCA.

The initial rollout will focus on the C3 corridor between Pinetown and Bridge City, with the municipality agreeing to procure 22 buses. Public transport operators will also acquire feeder vehicles through vehicle operating companies.

Negotiations and plans 

Xaba said the immediate priority was to turn the money and infrastructure already invested into an operational service.

“The priority now is to translate the investment already made into a functioning public transport service, beginning with the C3 corridor,” he said.

However, opposition parties remain sceptical after years of missed deadlines and mounting expenditure.

ActionSA KwaZulu-Natal leader Zwakhele Mncwango questioned the municipality’s latest promises, saying:

“After more than 15 years of hearing the same story about negotiations and plans, the people of eThekwini need buses, not reports.”

DA eThekwini councillor Melanie Brauteseth also questioned the project’s value for money, saying buses were available but had yet to begin operating.

The wider Go! Durban network is designed to integrate bus, rail and non-motorised transport, with a long-term plan covering about 250km of corridors, including 60km of rail. The municipality aims for 85% of its population to live within an 800-metre walk of high-quality public transport.

If the latest timetable holds, the October testing and soft launch will mark the first major step towards putting a project that has survived more than a decade of delays onto Durban’s roads.