Thohoyandou - At least 1 200 jobs will be created during the construction of a R317 million bus and taxi terminal in Thohoyandou, Limpopo.
During the sod-turning ceremony of the facility on Thursday, provincial roads and transport MEC Pinky Kekana announced that some 400 people would be permanently employed, while another 800 would be temporarily employed.
"This means that local contractors and labourers will play a meaningful role in the construction phase of this intermodal transport facility," said Kekana.
Kekana said the facility would benefit more than 27 000 passengers, most of whom commute between Thohoyandou and the surrounding villages on a daily basis.
"The facility will promote the use of public transport, improve operational efficiency, reduce congestion, use space effectively, and improve accessibility by being user friendly to disabled people, among others," she said.
Kekana said the programme forms part of the national public transport strategy, which aims to promote a public transport system that integrated all modes of public transport, including buses, taxis, meter taxis and trains.
She said transformation of the current commuter-based transport system will also result in a safe, reliable and efficient system that meets the required standards.
Construction will start next month and is expected to be completed in November 2013.
"This major bus and taxi pilot project is the first of its kind in Limpopo and the Thulamela local municipality will serve as a benchmark that the other municipalities across the province can learn from," added Kekana.
The bus and taxi rank facility will be two to three stories high, while hawkers will have space to operate from upmarket stalls.
Efious Mugwagwa, group chief executive of MCE Consortium - the company contracted to build facility - said the company was ready to hand over the facility in two years' time.
