News#21 METRAP-Maputo Third Country Training on Public Transport in Cape Town (August 2025)

The third country training program (public transport), organized by METRAP-Maputo, took place from July 21 to 30, 2025, in Cape Town, South Africa. Participants included the Director of the DMTT, the officers from DMTT, DMIU, EMME, and EMTPM. They were accompanied by three members of the JICA expert team: the team leader, the deputy team leader, and the coordinator.

The program aimed to facilitate communication between the participants and Cape Town city officials. It anabled the participants to learn from the city's experiences with its BRT system called MyCiTi which has been operational for 15 years since its development for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It is a pioneer in public transportation services, including BRT, in the southern African region.

Participants learned about various aspects of MyCiTi, including its operating company, operations management system, software, call center, maintenance costs, and the current status and future plans of the automatic fare collection system. Participants also learned about MyCiTi’s infrastructure development, including bus stops, signals, vehicles, and Phase 2A which is curret;y underway. The Phase 2A includes a VOC (Vehicle Operation Company: contract with the City) system, a BRT-dedicated Sky Circle flyover, electric bus considerations, depot facilities with charging stations, and an integrated development plan with private developers at the bus terminal. Additionally, participants learned about branding and public relations strategies.

Throughout the training, participants engaged in site visits to the Traffic Management Center and the VOC Depot and visited workshops at the University of Cape Town. They also visited the Phase 2 construction site and participated in an excursion that involved boarding the MyCiTi bus and transferring between different routes using a MyCiTi card. These activities provided practical experience using the system and searching for routes on Google Maps.

The training yielded valuable insights into innovative operational approaches, infrastructure planning, and the importance of engaging with the informal transport operators, as well as the importance of effective public relations. Participants discussed pland to compile a report for their respective departments and to give recommendations for MOVE-Maputo, the World Bank-funded BRT project as next actions. They also plan to present their findings at the upcoming "Sustainable Mobility Week" in Maputo. The Maputo city officials who participated in the training program are expected to contribute in improving urban transportation in Maputo by applying the lessons learned from Cape Town's successful BRT implementation.