The City of Cape Town says that it has not reduced bookings on its Dial-a-Ride service for disabled people. GroundUp had previously reported that users were struggling to book rides through the service. The Western Cape Network on Disability says that users claim that ad hoc trips had been halved from 30 to 15 per day.
The city’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, told Eyewitness News that the ad hoc bookings are accepted on a “first-come, first-served basis”.
Adding that when the service cannot accommodate additional users when it has reached its capacity and is fully subscribed for the day.
“This has always been part of the operating model for Dial-a-Ride and does not reflect a curtailing of the service on our end.”
According to the Dial-a-Ride website, users should call the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63 to obtain and complete an application form, which Quintas advises should happen seven days in advance.
Thereafter, the website states that after the application form has been completed and submitted, candidates are required to undergo an assessment, which is conducted by an occupational therapist to determine whether the applicant can use conventional public transport services or not.
Quintas adds that regular users travelling to and from work can continue to book via the web-based platform or call centre at least three days in advance.
Tania Broughton and Mary-Anne Gontsana 8 Sep 2025 The city had planned to cut back on Dial-a-Ride’s service by making it exclusively accessible to wheelchair users and people with severe walking disabilities.
However, the Western Cape Network on Disability launched an urgent application at the Western Cape High Court for an interim interdict to pause the planned cutback for 60 days.
While the city filed a notice of intention to oppose the application, it met with the network’s representatives and reached an agreement, which was made an order of the court.
The network had until 10 October to file a court application to review the municipality’s decision to make the cutback.
Quintas said the city is adhering to the court’s ruling and accommodating all users in line with its available capacity.
