CAPE TOWN, Western Cape - Uncertainty over future national public transport funding has placed Cape Town’s MyCiTi bus service and planned route expansions under renewed scrutiny, particularly for commuters who rely on public transport every day.

The City of Cape Town said on May 13 that it was seeking clarity from national government over future public transport funding amid concern over proposed changes that could affect existing MyCiTi services as well as the planned Phase 2A expansion project.

According to EWN, the City raised concern over plans to phase out the national Public Transport Network Grant by 2028.

The planned Phase 2A route is intended to link Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain with Wynberg and Claremont through some of the most densely populated parts of the city. The expansion project is largely dependent on national grant funding, with MyCiTi previously placing committed support for the route at around R7 billion.

For many commuters, the issue extends beyond municipal planning and government budgets. Public transport costs already place pressure on households where workers and students travel long distances daily.

Under the current MyCiTi fare structure, a trip between 10km and 20km costs R23.50 during peak periods using Mover fares and R18.50 during saver periods. A trip between 20km and 30km costs R25.50 at peak times and R21.50 during saver periods.

For some commuters, however, the total daily travel cost extends beyond a single bus fare, particularly when delays, missed connections or additional transport become necessary. The planned expansion into Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain is regarded as important because many commuters travel not only to Cape Town’s CBD, but also to major work, retail, education and healthcare areas such as Wynberg and Claremont.

MyCiTi previously stated that the service recorded about 65 000 passenger journeys every weekday and around 2.3 million passenger trips per month. The system operated with 347 buses and 42 stations. Attention now turns to whether national government will provide long-term certainty on future funding before 2028 and whether the timeline of the Phase 2A project could be affected.

Any future fare adjustments, route changes or service updates are also likely to be closely watched by commuters as discussions between national government and the City of Cape Town continue.