PUBLIC SERVICE OFFERINGS CONTRIBUTE TO DEMAND FOR PROPERTY IN THOSE AREAS
Category Property News
With the City of Cape Town striving to provide services to residents that contribute to the upgrading of lifestyles across all income segments, such as the continuous addition of routes on the MyCiti bus service and the roll-out of free Wi-Fi nodes in certain areas across the Western Cape, it is no surprise that this affects the demand for property in areas where these value-adds are available, says Michael Bauer, managing director of IHPC estate agents.
The latest MyCiti bus route to be opened is in Dunoon, and this now creates a reliable, cost effective route to the CBD from the once-isolated area that relied on informal taxis and the train service, said Bauer.
“Access to public transport is so important for all, as is the need to reduce the horrendous traffic congestion on most major highways and roads at present,” said Bauer.
The MyCiti bus service now covers many areas of Cape Town, from the Atlantic Seaboard all the way through to Hout Bay, and the Western Seaboard up to the Atlantis areas. In Cape Town’s CBD itself, there are various routes, so one can travel around quite easily, without having to walk large distances. The low cost of using this service is a huge factor in its favour, if a person compares the running and parking costs (which can sometimes be four times the amount spent on public transport) of using one’s own vehicle to travel to work and back or to shopping and entertainment nodes, said Bauer.
The free Wi-Fi nodes are dotted all over suburbs of Cape Town, as far as Knysna, with many more to come over the next three years.
The map indicating where one can use this free service is available on http://www.htxt.co.za/2016/03/16/where-to-find-western-capes-50-new-public-wif-hotspots-launched-today/.
This will assist those who cannot afford to have their own connections in their homes or the cost of 3G connections. By making Wi-Fi accessible at reasonable rates through the City’s service providers, this will help everyone connect with others and services much more easily, he said.
As more public service offerings become available we can expect to see, as with the MyCiti bus rollout, many more people choosing to live along those routes, and demand will continue to outstrip supply.
Similarly, in Gauteng where the Gautrain was introduced, many people have moved to the suburbs on the train line as well as businesses specifically looking for premises close to the Gautrain stations and linked bus routes, and prices of property has increased exponentially in those areas, said Bauer.
Author: IHPC
