Leeto la Polokwane: Safe, Dependable, Accessible and affordable Public Transport

The City of Polokwane continues to make major strides in its quest to provide a safe, dependable, accessible, and affordable Public Transport System (PTS) through its flagship project Leeto La Polokwane, in line with the Smart Mobility pillar under Vision 2030-Smart City. In doing so, the Municipality is prioritizing public interest, and serving the City’s residents by improving efficiency and quality in this essential public service.

The Leeto Travel Card

Leeto La Polokwane introduced paper tickets as an interim fare media (payment method) from the start of operations in October 2021, while finalising the development of the Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) compliant Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system. After successfully meeting all the technical requirements set out by the National Department of Transport (NDoT), Leeto La Polokwane commenced the pilot phase of the ABT compliant AFC system in December 2022. To date over 6000 LLP travel cards have been supplied and are in use by customers. The bus service is designed to be cashless; this is to avoid fare evasion as well as to ensure safety and security for employees and passengers.

The City of Polokwane in its truly innovative and pioneering spirit has developed travel cards that may be used on other integrated public transport systems. The next batch of Leeto Travel Cards will have a special tactile feature (three holes inserted in the middle), which makes the card easily identifiable by people with visual impairments.

Following the service's inception, the City developed a turnaround strategy that reviewed the system performance to improve system accessibility and increase ridership. To accomplish this, the City investigated four recommended options:

1. route optimization,

2. relocating some bus stops,

3. adding new bus stops along the Phase 1A route if needed, and

4. expanding the ticket and card sales footprint.

To solve the teething problems, the City devised a Turnaround Strategy, which was implemented at the beginning of June 2022 through the Roads and Transportation Directorate.

The successful implementation of the LLP Turnaround Strategy has resulted in a significant increase in passenger numbers from 3 435 passengers carried during the first month of operation to a high of 82 372 in a month. The Municipality is currently operating with 12-metre buses that have the capacity to carry one wheelchair, thirty-six seated and fifty-four standing passengers per bus.

Collaboration

One of the objectives of the Leeto La Polokwane Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS), is to empower and formalise the taxi industry, thus enhancing its place in society. As such, Leeto La Polokwane (LLP) is a collaboration between the Polokwane Municipality, the Contracting Authority (CA), and Esilux (Pty) Ltd, which serves as the Vehicle Operating Company (VOC) and operates the bus service on behalf of the Municipality. The VOC consists of representatives from the three affected Taxi Associations: Seshego-Polokwane Taxi Association (SPTA), Flora Park-Pietersburg Taxi Association (FPTA), and Westenburg Taxi Association (WTA).

There are ongoing interactions between the parties as part of strengthening relations, ensuring smooth operations, and ensuring a shared understanding in the roll-out of the current and future Phases. One such engagement was a session

held between the parties on February 13 and 14, 2023, at Euphoria Lifestyle and Golf Estate in Mookgopong, to unpack and gain an in-depth comprehension of the Vehicle Operating Company Agreement (VOCA).

The VOCA is an agreement reached between the Municipality and Esilux (Pty) Ltd to facilitate bus operations. The National Land Transport Act 5 of 2009 (NLTA), governs the relationship between the Contracting Authority and the VOC and requires the parties to reach a 12-year negotiated agreement in the roll-out of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems.

The bus operating company, Esilux, and the City of Polokwane remain committed to maintaining a strong partnership to serve the people of Polokwane in the stride towards the delivery of a safe, affordable, and improved public transport service.

Empowerment and Transformation

As part of the empowerment and transformation of the public transport sector, forty-five operators from the affected taxi association were taken through the Business Management for Public Transport Sector programme. Consistent with the principle of no job losses, eightythree former taxi operators and drivers from the three taxi associations were employed by the VOC.

In addition to the jobs created by the bus company, 562 jobs were created as part of the BRT infrastructure development, with some of the job opportunities extended to car washers affected by the building of the Bus Station on General Joubert Street.

Progress

The construction on the General Joubert Bus Station (between Grobler Street and Thabo Mbeki Street) is well underway and is expected to be finalised in 2023.

In light of the imminent phase-out of paper tickets, passengers are urged to obtain Leeto La Polokwane Travel Cards at the following locations:

• Municipal Offices (Civic CentreRates Hall), Seshego Zone 1 (next to the clinic), Seshego Zone 3 (next to Kings Complex)

• Library Gardens Mobile Kiosk

• Church Street Office (53 c Church Street between Thabo Mbeki and Grobler Streets)

Travel cards can be reloaded at the same locations as well as by LLP System Ambassadors on board each Leeto La Polokwane bus.

The Polokwane Municipality Executive Mayor, Cllr Mosema Makoro John Mpe, has commended the collaborating participants, emphasising that transportation is the backbone of the country's economic development, allowing for the convenient movement

of people, goods, and services. He substantiated that as such, common ground needed to be established to provide the expected service.

The Executive Mayor further indicated that the Municipality is committed to creating business opportunities and an enabling environment for economic activity in the City. The Mayor cited the recent agreement with Kaizer Chiefs Football Club to use the Peter Mokaba Stadium for the next three years as a partnership set to benefit many businesses in the Municipality, including the Taxi Industry. 

CONTACT DETAILS

Tel: 015 023 0055 068 554 4235 (Whatsapp)

Email: leetolapolokwane@polokwane.gov.za

Web: www.leetolapolokwane.co.za

Address: New Peter Mokaba Stadium (East Wing), Transport Directorate, Polokwane Limpopo, 0700