New contract will see Dial-a-Ride operating at capacity soon

The City of Cape Town’s Transport Directorate has signed a new contract which will see the Dial-a-Ride service returning to optimal service levels in due course.

HG Travelling Services, the current operator, has signed a new contract to provide the Dial-a-Ride (DAR) service for at least another nine months, until 30 September 2020.

DAR is a unique service and is partly funded by the Western Cape Provincial Government and the City. The City of Cape Town is the only municipality in South Africa who has established an alternative for commuters with special needs who cannot make use of conventional public transport.

DAR has been experiencing capacity constraints over the past few months due to a reduction in the number of vehicles, and a limited budget.

‘I’m delighted to say that the new contract was signed yesterday, 18 December 2019. We have managed to secure a bigger budget for the service, meaning, we now have more money available to replace and repair vehicles that are needed to provide the DAR service,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Alderman Felicity Purchase.

The City is working with HG Travelling Services to restore the full fleet as soon as possible.

‘Some of the vehicles may be ready within days, but in some cases we will have to wait for parts coming from overseas. Be it as it may, we now have the funds and we are committed to having a full fleet of 22 vehicles operational as soon as we can,’ said Alderman Purchase.

About 3 000 commuters are registered on the DAR database and eligible to use the service - 350 of which use the service regularly, and up to 2 270 on an ad-hoc basis.

Most of the DAR vehicles can accommodate five commuters in wheelchairs and three seated passengers with other needs. Guide dogs are allowed, as well as registered carers.

‘Another positive development is the fact that we have re-established the DAR Forum in August 2019 to address users’ complaints and concerns. The forum is constituted by DAR users, City officials, and representatives from the service provider. I am urging users to please use this forum to bring their concerns to our attention. In so doing, we can be proactive and improve the service in collaboration with the users and the operator. I also want to thank users in advance for their ongoing patience, understanding, and support while we are working on getting all of the vehicles back on the road,’ said Alderman Purchase.

Eligible commuters can use the DAR service on an ad hoc basis (once-off trip) for which a booking is required each time a person wishes to make a trip. The booking system works on a first-come-first-serve basis and can be made seven days in advance. Eligible persons can use the following number for bookings: 0800 600 895.

DAR users are reminded that they can report complaints to the operator’s call centre, or to the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63.