16 Dec 2021

 The Mahalapye bus rank, which is still under construction,  is partially open for buses.

Speaking during an interview following the partial opening ceremony on Wednesday, Mahalapye Sub-district Council chairperson, Mr Bantlhasetse Merementsi said the taxi parking lanes were expected to be completed by the end of the month.

“Initially, we had hoped to have completed this project by the end of October, but due to unforeseen challenges the project was delayed. But, to address the level of congestion and curb unnecessary accidents, we have decided to partially open the bus rank for bus operators, as the buses parking lanes are complete,” he explained.

Mr Merementsi said they had appealed to all sub-contractors to speed up the process and complete outstanding works by the end of this month, so that taxi operators could also start using the bus rank.

He said the completed works also included tower light installation as well as the anti-theft fence, meant to curb criminal activities on the western side of the bus rank.

He said outstanding was the completion of taxi parking lanes, installation of rubbish bins and waiting sheds.

“But, we are still going to appeal to the business community to meet us half way in terms of installation of rubbish bins and waiting sheds, where members of the public can take shelter, whilst waiting for transportation,” the sub-council chairperson said.

He said the storm water drainage around the bus rank, which previously stalled a due to delays in delivery of culverts, was also expected to be completed by the end the month.
Mr Merementsi also noted that the sub-council would not provide stalls for business vendors at the bus rank, but would instead demarcate two by two-metre spaces for the vendors to operate from.

He said vendors would be obliged to use temporary and collapsible gazebos, which they would easily disassemble at the end of each day.  

He revealed that each vendor would be required to pay a P200 monthly fee for the allocated space, adding that fees would help in keeping the bus rank clean.

He said the project, was funded by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development through the Road Levy Fund at the tune of P10 million, was still within budget.

To reduce project costs, he said the sub-district council had partly engaged its own labour and used its own equipment.

Mahalapye Public Transport Association chairperson, Mr Tshiamo Ditsheko commended Mahalapye Sub-district Council for refurbishing the bus rank and expressed gratitude that it had been partially opened.

“Although this project has caused a lot of inconvenience to us as public transport operators, the business community and members of the public’s daily lives, we are very happy that it is finally being completed.

Also, the long standing challenge of poor storm water drainage around this area has also been finally addressed,” said Mr Ditsheko.

“We are also happy with the installation of the tower light and the anti-theft fence, as these will help curb the criminal activities,” he added.

He said the taxi parking lane signage would also help resolve congestion at the bus rank, as some operators used to park in spaces not designated for parking. ENDS