COMPILED BY Lindi Brownell Meiring
Servicing over 5 000 commuters on a daily basis, the Wallacedene taxi rank is officially South Africa’s first green transport facility.
Unveiled on Monday 25 August 2014, the building is almost entirely self-sufficient. It generates its own electricity via solar panel systems on the roof of the facility, which powers not only the lights, but also the electronic gates and kitchen appliances. With the taxi rank needing water on a constant basis for the washing of their vehicles, the building was also designed with this in mind. Rainwater is harvested and 70% of the water used on site is also recycled via underground filtering systems.
“One of the most exciting features of this facility is the manner in which we are using the rank’s considerable roof area for the harvesting of rainwater,” says City’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, Councillor Brett Herron. “The rainwater is stored in an underground tank system with a storage capacity of up to 20 000 litres and is equipped with the necessary infrastructure to pump this water to the washing bays.”
He adds, “The City of Cape Town is extremely proud to be at the forefront of combining intelligent architectural design and technology in our effort to improve service delivery to our residents. The Wallacedene taxi rank sets the benchmark for future public transport facilities in the country, showcasing the City’s commitment to conservation and innovation.”