The wheels on the bus are oiled

The Gauteng department of roads and transport and the City of Tshwane have concluded an inter-governmental authorisation agreement to process subsidised bus contracts in the city from April next year.

Gauteng MEC for roads and transport Ismail Vadi, pictured, said yesterday the agreement opened the way for the city to “take over fully” the responsibility for public transport.

“Ideally, public transport services should be managed at a local level and the agreement paves the way for Tshwane to progressively take over the function,” said Vadi.

Tshwane MMC for transport Sheila Lynn Senkubuge welcomed the move, saying that the city would develop over time its capacity to take on this important public transport function.

The department and the city have agreed to provide efficient public transport services, particularly in Mamelodi, where subsidised bus services have been rendered for the past two years by Autopax.

Autopax, as a state-owned transport entity, had stepped in to assist the department with bus services when Putco in 2015 voluntarily surrendered its contract to the department due to company losses on the Mamelodi routes.

Presently, the department oversees subsidised bus services to townships in Tshwane such as Atteridgeville, Hammanskraal and along the Moloto corridor.

Vadi said the agreement authorised the provincial roads and transport department to continue to contract subsidised bus services in terms of the National Land Transport Act until such time as the city was ready to take over the function. At the same time, the department would help strengthen the technical capacity of the city to manage the contracts over time. – ANA