Minister of Mobility

(a) (i)  Lithium batteries are installed on trunk routes to avoid traffic signals going down, which would have otherwise had an impact on the bus schedules.

o In the event that Station gates are affected when the load shedding time exceeds the UPS backup battery available charge/time, commuters use the validators on buses to access the service. Additionally, the backup power is continually being improved.

o The City is currently in the process of procuring invertors for all MyCiTi stations, this will assist in the event that load shedding time exceeds the UPS backup battery’s available charge/time.

(ii)
o Schedule adherence: Almost all services continue to run on schedule as George Municipality has deployed UPS devices at all major traffic signals to minimise increases in congestion. Only minor delays have been experienced thus far.
o Smart Card fare vendors: There has been an increase in customer complaints related to third-party vendors being off-line due to lost data connectivity or without adequate battery power during load shedding, meaning that passengers can’t add trips to their Smart Cards and need to try find an alternative vendor to do so. To mitigate this, targeted communication campaigns (through print media, radio and one-on-one engagements) have been undertaken to encourage passengers to top up outside of load shedding, third-party vendors have been engaged to advise on improved mobile connectivity measures, and GO GEORGE mobile kiosks with additional power and connectivity measures have been deployed to areas most affected. All GO GEORGE fixed kiosks have been equipped with additional connectivity and power measures.
o Safety and security: There has been a definite increase in incidents of vandalism related to the stoning of buses and damage to facilities such as bus stop shelters during load shedding and when it is dark. This sometimes results in passengers needing to wait for a replacement bus, while reducing spare fleet capacity and increasing repair costs. To assist with mitigating this, GO GEORGE is supporting George Municipality to invest in back-up power solutions for CCTV installations in hot-spot crime areas. Neighbourhood Watches are also being engaged to understand where and how they can assist.
o The above concerns are particularly prevalent during the prolonged period of Stages 5 and higher load shedding.
(b) (i) No commuters lost due to load shedding as a result of above mitigating measures in place.
(ii) Regular assessments of passenger ridership data are undertaken to identify any concerning trends. GO GEORGE ridership levels have shown a
continued increasing trend over the last year, including throughout the elevated load shedding stages since September 2022. Further, no cheduled trips have been missed due to load shedding to-date.

(a) Hoe beurtkrag die bedryf van (i) MyCiTi-busse en (ii) Go George-busse beïnvloed en (b) hoeveel pendelaars as gevolg van die invloed van beurtkrag verlore gegaan het?

Antwoord:
(a) (i)
o Litiumbatterye is op hoofroetes geïnstalleer om te verhoed dat verkeerseine afgaan, wat andersins ’n impak op die busskedules sou gehad het.
o In die geval dat stasiehekke geraak word wanneer die beurtkragtyd die UPS-rugsteunbattery se beskikbare laai/tyd oorskry, gebruik pendelaars die valideerders op busse om toegang tot die diens te kry. Boonop word die rugsteunkrag voortdurend verbeter.
o Die Stad is tans in die proses om wisselrigters vir alle MyCiTi-stasies aan te skaf, dit sal help in die geval dat beurtkragtyd die UPS-rugsteunbatterye se beskikbare laai/tyd oorskry.

(ii)
o Nakoming van skedule: Byna alle dienste gaan volgens skedule voort, aangesien George Munisipaliteit UPS-toestelle by alle groot verkeerseine ontplooi het om toenames in opeenhoping te verminder. Slegs geringe vertragings is tot dusver ervaar.
o Slim Kaart-verkopers: Daar was ’n toename in klagtes van kliënte wat verband hou met derdeparty-verkopers wat van lyn af is as gevolg van verlore dataverbindings of onvoldoende batterykrag tydens beurtkrag, wat beteken dat passasiers nie reise op hul slimkaarte kan voeg nie en ’n alternatiewe verkoper moet vind om dit te doen.

Om verligting te bring, is geteikende kommunikasieveldtogte (deur gedrukte media, radio en een-tot-een-betrekkinge) onderneem om passasiers aan te moedig om buite beurtkrag hul slimkaarte aan te vul, derdeparty-verkopers is betrek om advies te gee oor verbeterde mobiele konnektiwiteitsmaatreëls, en GO GEORGE mobiele kiosks met bykomende krag- en verbindingsmaatreëls is na gebiede ontplooi wat die meeste geraak word. Alle GO GEORGE vaste kiosks is toegerus met bykomende konnektiwiteit en kragmaatreëls.
o Veiligheid en sekuriteit: Daar was ’n duidelike toename in voorvalle van vandalisme wat verband hou met die steniging van busse en skade aan fasiliteite soos bushalteskuilings tydens beurtkrag en wanneer dit donker is. Dit lei soms daartoe dat passasiers vir ’n vervangingsbus moet wag, terwyl die kapasiteit van die spaarvloot verminder word en herstelkoste verhoog word.

Om te help om verligting te bring, ondersteun GO GEORGE die George Munisipaliteit om in rugsteunkragoplossings vir CCTV-installasies in gebiede met hoë gevalle van misdaad te belê. Buurtwagte word ook ingeskakel om te verstaan waar en hoe hulle kan help.
o Bogenoemde bekommernisse is veral algemeen gedurende die lang tydperk van Fase 5 en hoër beurtkrag.
(c) (i) As gevolg van bogenoemde versagtende maatreëls wat in plek gestel is, het geen pendelaars weens beurtkrag verlore gegaan nie.
(ii) Gereelde assesserings van passasiersdata word onderneem om enige relevante neigings te identifiseer. GO GEORGE-pendelaarsvlakke het oor die afgelope jaar toenemend gestyg, insluitend deur die verhoogde beurtkrag-fases sedert September 2022. Verder is geen geskeduleerde reise gemis as gevolg van beurtkrag tot op datum nie.