Taxi rank upgrade

Today the City of Cape Town will begin nine projects to improve services in Durbanville and Fisantekraal as part of the Mayoral Urban Regeneration Programme (MURP).

The MURP is a city-led initiative that will focus on improving key aspects in areas all over Cape Town such as rebuilding roads, improving security and upgrading transport hubs such as taxi or bus ranks.
In February, construction began to upgrade Kruska Avenue which formed fart of the MURP-targeted areas in Bellville.
Mayco member for urban management Grant Twigg said the City plan to improve public transport between Durbanville and Fisantekraal by upgrading the roads and the infrastructure around the Durbanville taxi rank.
Mr Twigg said: “To advance MURP’s strategic objectives and to achieve the goals set out by the programme, the City of Cape Town allocated a budget of R4 million to each sub-council. Sub-council 7 supported projects ranging from planning and design, safety and security, area cleaning, as well as repairs and maintenance to be budgeted against the R4 million operational budget. Nine operational projects were identified by the sub-council.”
According to Mr Twigg, the projects for the 2029/2020 financial year include the deployment of law enforcement officers in designated areas, establishing a vulnerable-groups programme, roads maintenance, cleaning targeted areas, the planning and design of a communal park, raising public education and awareness, additional law enforcement, improved traffic services and establishing a support programme for neighbourhood watch groups in the area.
Mr Twigg said: “The plan to deploy more law enforcement officers in the area will see 10 auxiliary law enforcement officers being deployed in the Durbanville taxi rank. The project focuses on crime and grime and is aimed at creating a safe and clean environment.”
Additional traffic officers would also be deployed to the area.
Mr Twigg said an awareness drive – with posters and pamphlets – would encourage the public to look after the new facilities.
    
The taxi ranks in Durbanville and Fisantekraal are among the main areas targeted as projects designated for the area will see surrounding parks cleaned, roads maintained and the construction of a communal park in the area.
While the upgrades have been welcomed in the area, the Fisantekraal Centre for Development (FCD), which helps unemployed people find work, hopes they will not cause any complications for them in the future, as their head offices are at the Durbanville taxi rank.
Jane Gelderman, the chief executive of the FCD, said: “We are happy that the City is paying attention to the urgent need for upgrades and increased safety measures at the Durbanville taxi rank. However, the City needs to carefully consider the critical service FCD currently delivers to unemployed people, and as we are currently based at the taxi rank premises, it puts our services at risk if our lease with the City is ended.”
The work starting at the taxi rank on Friday is expected to be completed by June 30 next year.