‘Invested in Hope’ Budget Prioritises Road Maintenance, Public Transport, Congestion Relief To Keep Cape Town Moving

The City’s ‘Invested in Hope’ Budget 2025/26 was tabled at its Council meeting on 27 March 2025 and is now available for public comment.

The Urban Mobility Directorate’s proposed operational budget for the next financial year alone, starting on 1 July 2025, is over R4,7 billion which includes R1,7 billion for operating the MyCiTi bus service across Cape Town.

‘A key priority is regular and ongoing road maintenance. Cape Town’s road network covers nearly 10 700 km, it is one of our biggest assets, and invaluable in terms of keeping Capetonians moving.

‘Roadworks are inconvenient and frustrating, but the alternative of not investing in our road network is too ghastly to contemplate – other metros in South Africa are a clear example of what happens when you fail to maintain roads, keep traffic signals working, and neglect the upkeep of stormwater infrastructure.

‘We have allocated over R2,1 billion from our operational budget for the 2025/26 financial year to road maintenance and where residents see our teams working, they can rest assured that we are spending public money on what it is intended for,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.

The Urban Mobility Directorate’s proposed capital budget over the medium-term, starting on 1 July 2025 until 30 June 2028, amounts to over R7,9 billion, with some key priorities being:

R5,4 billion for the roll-out of the MyCiTi bus service to connect Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha with Wynberg and Claremont,
R88 million for the refurbishment and replacement of the current MyCiTi fleet
R397 million for upgrading public transport interchanges in Bellville, Happy Valley, Macassar, Makhaza, Retreat, and Westlake
R153 million for formalising MyCiTi bus stops on existing routes and rebuilding damaged stations
R294 million for road projects to relieve traffic congestion at pressure points in Kuils River (Amandel Road and Saxdowns Road upgrades), Durbanville, Belhar (Erica Drive), Salt River (Voortrekker Road), Maitland (Berkley Road), along the M3 highway and Kommetjie Main Road
R252 million on universally accessible footways and cycle lanes in Kuils River, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Hanover Park, Kensington, Fractreton, Maitland, Gugulethu, and Spine Road, amongst others
R199 million for road rehabilitation and reconstruction, including the reconstruction of various sections of Jakes Gerwel Drive; the rehabilitation of Jan van Riebeeck Drive between Francie van Zijl Drive to Epping Avenue in Beaconvale/Parow; and La Belle Road between Strand Street and Willow Street in Stikland
R307 million on the upgrading and rehabilitation of traffic signals across the city
And, over R2,1 billion from the directorate’s operational budget in 2025/26 for road infrastructure maintenance.

‘Our proposed budget priorities for the next three financial years demonstrate our intention to keep people, goods, and services on the move. This is why we are setting aside billions to create new infrastructure for those who rely on public transport; building new roads or widening the ones we have to address congestion; and adding new universally accessible footways and cycle lanes for those who cannot afford other means of transport.

‘Residents must be able to get to work and school within the shortest possible time with transport that is reliable, safe, dignified, and affordable. I encourage residents to peruse the draft budget, and to submit comments; this is an opportunity to make your voice heard,’ said Councillor Quintas.

Submit comments on the Invested in Hope Budget 2025/26 before 2 May 2025