City of Cape Town wins international transport award

The City of Cape Town’s Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA) on Wednesday night received an international award for its transit-oriented development strategic framework.

According to the City of Cape Town’s media office, the International Public Transport Strategy Award was presented to the commissioner of the TDA, Melissa Whitehead, at the UITP World Summit in Montreal, Canada.

The TDA was also said to have been shortlisted in the category of public transport strategy.

The City of Cape Town’s media office further described UITP as the international organisation for public transport authorities and the awards aim to recognise public transport projects that are central to the urban and local mobility system.

Commenting on the win, the City’s mayoral committee ember for transport and urban development, councillor Brett Herron, said: “I am elated that we came out tops on the world stage where we competed against the best transport authorities across the globe.

“This award is confirmation of the City’s innovation and forward thinking in eradicating the legacy of apartheid spatial planning by placing public transport at the centre of all new public investments and developments across Cape Town.”

The City of Cape Town further explained that council adopted the transit-oriented development strategic framework in March last year and aimed to prescribe how new developments in the city should be built and how the existing public infrastructure should be transformed. Addressing the legacy of apartheid spatial planning and the cost of public transport while stimulating economic growth were considered.

Herron added: “We are extremely proud of this achievement. The award serves as a motivation to work even harder to improve our residents’ lives through affordable, safe and decent public transport.

“This ties in with the City’s new Organisational Development and Transformation Plan which aims to accelerate our efforts to create a more equal society based on integrated communities, economic inclusion, and access to opportunities.”

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