The bus for us

The lowdown on the MyCiTi bus routes, schedule and ticket prices

A reliable, effective and safe transport system in Cape Town WAS a long time coming. Prior to the 2011 roll-out of the MyCiTi bus network, an integrated rapid transit service, sitting like sardines in a cramped minibus taxi or spending a fortune on meter cabs was the norm.

And though these uncomfortable, unsafe and uneconomical options are still current realities for many, the MyCiTi initiative has, nonetheless, made huge headway in paving the path toward a stress-free, secure and affordable means of travel.

For those new to South Africa or the wonderful world of public transport, whether you’re on your way to or from the airport, commuting between particular outer suburbs and the city centre or trying to get from point A to point B within the CBD, there’s bound to be a dependable and cost-effective MyCiTi bus route that can get you there on time.

Though, do keep in mind that, with the exception of the routes to and from the airport, you’ll need a myconnect card to travel aboard the MyCiTi bus. These cost a once-off fee of R23 and are available from appointed kiosks and participating retailers (see the MyCiTi website for more info); after purchasing, it’s simply necessary to begin loading money onto the card to travel. Children under four years of age can ride the MyCiTi for free.

Recent Developments: In 2013, the Gardens Centre MyCiTi station opened and a new route that goes from the airport to the V&A Waterfront (and vice versa) started operating; not to mention, a collection of future paths are nearly ready to start conveying people to and fro.

To keep up to date with further changes to the system, don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

AIRPORT – CIVIC CENTRE – V&A WATERFRONT ROUTE
This route has revolutionised getting to and from the Cape Town International Airport, and now includes a leg that extends between the city centre and the V&A Waterfront. The collection point for passengers travelling from the Civic Centre to the airport is situated right outside the Civic Centre in Hertzog Boulevard (Platform 1), and the MyCiTi will drop you off right outside the airport’s terminal building. You can catch the bus at exactly the same point on the transport plaza when travelling from the airport to the Civic Centre or on to the V&A Waterfront. The collection and drop-off point at the Waterfront is the appointed MyCiTi stop. 

GARDENS – CIVIC CENTRE ROUTE
This route moves from the Gardens Centre MyCiTi station via Loop Street to the Civic Centre, passing the Cape Town International Convention Centre (on the way back, it travels up Long Street). Keep in mind, this course no longer connects to the V&A Waterfront. Now, it is necessary to change at the Civic Centre and catch a V&A Waterfront-bound bus. 

Click here for a detailed timetable for this route.

 TABLE VIEW – CIVIC CENTRE ROUTE
A dedicated MyCiTi bus lane connects Table View station and the Civic Centre via Paarden Eiland and Woodstock, making for fast and stress-free travel from the outskirts to the city centre. There are also three area routes (boasting a total of 120 stops) designed to connect people living in Big Bay, Parklands East and Blouberg Sands with the Table View station and hence this main route. 

Click here for a detailed timetable for these routes.

SALT RIVER – WALMER ESTATE – CIVIC CENTRE ROUTE In operation from early March 2013, this route – the first to use the new smaller, low-floor MyCiTi buses – conveys passengers between the CBD and the east residential suburb of Salt River. Travelling from the Salt River railway station (a central Cape Town rail point), it moves through Woodstock, Walmer Estate, Zonnebloem and District Six, and passes by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, The Castle and the Cape Town Rail Station before reaching the Civic Centre and linking up with existing MyCiTi routes. Buses then return to the Salt River railway station via the same path.

Click here for a detailed timetable for this route.

Future MyCiTi routes
Before year end, the MyCiTi initiative will add a handful of new routes that will link to the inner city. These routes are subject to change, but tentatively, include the following:

• Vredehoek, Oranjezicht and Kloof Street 
• Green Point and Sea Point via Beach Road and the Waterfront, Main Road and High Level Road 
• Camps Bay, via Sea Point and over Kloof Nek 
•  Hout Bay via Camps Bay and Sea Point

Additionally, the West Coast will have several new routes before the end of 2013. Such developments will include new  circuits around Table View and Parklands, and will link to the following:

• Century City via Racecourse Road and Omuramba Road
• Montague Gardens along Koeberg Road
• Potsdam, Killarney, Dunoon and Doornbach via Blaauwberg Road
• Sunningdale and Sandown stations on the West Coast road
• Melkbosstrand
• Atlantis, Mamre and Pella

MyCiTi bus fares
Though initially marginally more expensive than taking a minibus taxi or train, travelling via the MyCiTi bus is now not only more efficient and much safer, but also more cost-effective,. It is important to note that MyCiTi is a cashless system, except for the airport route, for which paper tickets can still be bought. For all other routes, you will have to load money onto a myconnect card, which can be purchased at MyCiTi station kiosks and participating retailers for R23. Kids under the age of four travel for free.

Cleanliness is holiness
The main MyCiTi Civic Centre Station, the Gardens Centre Station and the buses and the bus stops are maintained with the utmost care and integrity.

Each bus stop is enclosed by glass walls, providing passengers with suitable protection against the unpredictable Cape Town weather.       

Security guards ensure the safety of passengers both on the buses and in the stations. Every station has a check point at the entrance, and no one is admitted without a valid ticket.

The City of Cape Town has gone the extra mile to ensure the efficient transport of its people; though, while ‘the bus for us’ has considerably narrowed the playing field between South African and international transport standards, it still has some way to go.

Watch this space…

By Adri de Kock

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Read more about the MyCiTi Airport Shuttle.

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