Makana Municipality is going ahead with plans to construct a bus terminus located at the intersection of Bathurst and High Streets, comprising of an underground toilet block, parking bays for buses and a passenger shelter.
Makana Municipality is going ahead with plans to construct a bus terminus located at the intersection of Bathurst and High Streets, comprising of an underground toilet block, parking bays for buses and a passenger shelter.
According to Makana Municipality spokesperson Thandy Matebese, the bus terminus will be maintained on a regular basis and will be monitored by a security guard.
Long-distance buses travel along main routes to destinations throughout the country including Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Currently the buses are using an informal stopping area which has no toilet facilities and passengers are exposed to harsh weather while they wait.
A report on the project appeared on the agenda of the Social Services portfolio committee meeting last week which reads: “the location of the terminus is in a highly developed area with historical and architectural significance that draws tourists to it”.
An application for a building permit was submitted to the Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Authority for approval. The municipality consulted the public about this project and was met with some objections.
According to the report: “The main objections had to do with people who are concerned that the development will be a visual intrusion in the existing landscape. Some were concerned about the safety of the passengers since the terminus will be located in the middle of the street.”
The municipality said that some of the objections could be adequately solved through architectural and engineering designs as well as the development and implementation of a proper management plan for the facility.
According to Mandisi Planga, the municipality’s social services director, the project is funded by Cacadu District Municipality and the Department of Roads and Transport. MBB consulting has been appointed to provide professional services for the development, designs, tender documentation and contract administration. Planga said that a meeting was scheduled last week to discuss the tender preparations.
