eThekwini councillors slam delays and costs of GO! Durban project

eThekwini councillors have expressed frustration over the ongoing delays and rising costs associated with the GO! Durban project during a recent council meeting. The Human Settlements, Engineering and Transport Committee presented a progress report outlining the current status of the initiative, which aims to overhaul the city’s public transportation system. The report detailed advancements in infrastructure delivery, operational readiness, business planning, stakeholder engagement, industry transition and institutional preparations necessary for launching services. Councillor Zwakele Mncwango of Action SA criticized the project, suggesting it should be renamed “Gone! Durban” due to its repeated failures. He highlighted the high cost of planning and the prolonged delay in implementation, noting that residents are left with empty stations and no operational buses while their investments remain unreturned. Mncwango argued that the report does little to assure taxpayers that existing issues will be resolved, warning that it could lead to further spending without clear outcomes. The committee shared updates on the revised corridor-based strategy for Phase 1 of the GO! Durban Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN). Corridor C3, spanning Bridge City to Pinetown, has been designated as the first operational corridor. This will be followed by Corridors C1, C9 and the Inner City Distribution Service (ICDS), along with C2 feeder and rail-support services, contingent upon affordability, PRASA recovery and available funding. The report also included a reassessment of the Operational and Business Plan following the reduction in Public Transport Network Grant (PTNG) allocations. Adjustments were made to service levels, fleet needs, capital commitments, operating costs, fare revenue projections and the city’s financial exposure under the diminished grant. Priority actions and timelines for the next six months were outlined, focusing on achieving operational readiness, managing risks, finalizing contracts and maintaining compliance with grant conditions. The municipality identified affected operators for Corridors C3, C1, C9 and ICDS to enable the formation and contracting of compliant Vehicle Operating Companies (VOCs). Plans are underway to create a Public Transport Operations Grant (PTOG) Transition Framework and Task Team within the eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA) to oversee the integration of legacy public transport services and operators into the municipal framework. Lyndal Singh, a DA councillor, accused the project of becoming emblematic of delays, increasing costs, shifting strategies and unfulfilled promises. She emphasized that the financial consequences of the revised plan remain unclear, questioning why commitments have been diluted rather than fulfilled. Over a decade and billions of rands have been spent, leading to the abandonment of the original model in favor of a new approach, which she described as an acknowledgment of failure. Singh pointed out that an additional R22.9 million has been allocated for yet another review and model, even though the previous contract was deemed inadequate. She criticized the pattern of redirecting funds from ratepayers to consultants, calling it a consistent and predictable process. Jay Singh, representing the United Independent Movement (UIM), noted that after nearly R9 billion has been spent, councillors are now being asked to accept an affordability-driven model due to the winding down of the PTNG. He questioned why affordability wasn’t considered earlier and demanded transparency on the value delivered for the money invested. Residents, he said, deserve clarity on why the project is being scaled back to a single corridor given the circumstances.