Fourteen new articulated buses earmarked for the 2010 FIFA World Cup transport and Nelson Mandela Bay's future long-term Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) project, arrived at the East London Harbour from Sao Paulo, Brazil yesterday.
It would have cost Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) municipality an extra 150 000 (R1.18 million) had the buses docked in Port Elizabeth because the shipping agent is based in Durban.
Nelson Mandela Bay municipality's acting public transport officer Keith Mitchell said: "so, we were able to share world cup excitement with Buffalo City and save Nelson Mandela Bay money".
This would bring the total number of new articulated buses, two buses joined together, to 23 after nine arrived two weeks ago, also at the East London Harbour.
They will be leaving East London for Nelson Mandela Bay early this morning, travelling in convoy along the coastal route of the Eastern Cape. An additional bus, specifically designed for disabled people, has yet to arrive.
Buffalo City executive mayor Zukisa Faku headed down to the East London harbour yesterday to take a look at the "snazzy" buses and bid them well on their way to Nelson Mandela Bay. She said she was proud to be the first to welcome the buses to the Eastern Cape.
Gogo Manqoyi, from the 2010 FIFA World Cup provincial government unit, said: "once you see those buses in reality, it makes you realise that the world cup is here, it's finally real".
Transnet National Ports Authority's Communication Manager Terry Taylor said the vessel off-loaded the 14 buses and 500 SUVs for import into the local market and departed with 1 559 locally manufactured vehicles bound for the United States market, good for the Eastern Cape automotive economy.
The buses, which cost R3.8 million each and can carry 115 people, took about 20 days to arrive from Sao Paulo.
Issued by: Department of Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
25 May 2010
Source: Department of Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ectransport.gov.za/)
