Cape Town is expected to see the roll out of 80 tuk-tuks in time for this year’s peak tourist season.
This comes after the city’s transport department issued a tender for the provision of tuk-tuk public transport services last week.
[AdZone]
“If the tender process goes according to plan and the city receives responsive bids, the tuk-tuk vehicles may be operating from September 1, in time for the peak summer period,” the City of Cape Town said in a statement.
[AdZoneGiant]
“We want to use this tender process to appoint public transport operators who will operate 80 tuk-tuk vehicles across eight areas in Cape Town and the far south. The vehicles are intended for those wanting to travel short distances of 3km or less to local destinations,” says the city’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, Councillor Brett Herron. “The people who will make use of the tuk-tuk vehicles are those who do not necessarily want to make use of a metered taxi service, but also do not want to walk two or three kilometres to their destination.”
The tuk-tuks will initially operate in Fresnaye and Bantry Bay, Sea Point, Green Point, Bo-Kaap and De Waterkant, Tamboerskloof, Walmer Estate, University Estate, Zonnebloem and District Six, Kalk Bay, St James and Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town.
The city will not appoint more than eight operators for each area and preference will be given to tenderers who will make use of electric vehicles.
“The city is committed to limiting carbon emissions. This is why we have issued a tender for the acquisition of electric buses for the MyCiTi bus service. Bidders with environmentally friendly tuk-tuks will therefore receive bonus points during the bidding process,” says Herron.
The tender will be a commercial services contract, and the successful bidder(s) will be responsible for setting up the service, operational costs for providing the service, and will be paid directly by the commuter for the service rendered, says the City of Cape Town.
The tuk-tuk operators will have to comply with strict operating conditions.
