Rea Vaya - Transport under the microscope

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April 2010

Transport under the microscope

Monday, 26 April 2010

Sharing information on public transport issues

Rea Vaya was the main topic at a public transport summit, where the City and civil society agreed to set up a Transport Task Team.

PUBLIC transport and its role in Johannesburg was discussed at a Transport Stakeholder Summit, which looked at general transport issues, including the City’s pilot Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.

The City's mayoral committee member for transport, Rehana Moosajee, and the transportation department mascot

The summit was hosted by the mayoral committee member for transport in the City of Johannesburg, Rehana Moosajee, on 17 April at Museum Africa.

It was an opportunity for the City's transport family (the transportation department, Rea Vaya project team, Johannesburg Road Agency and Metrobus) to invited civil society partners, which included commuter organisations, community organisations, taxi organisations and trade unions.

Moosajee spoke about transport in the context of Johannesburg.

Information booklets were given to participants, detailing the roll out of Rea Vaya from 3 May.

She explained the background to the session in that about a month ago she was requested by Cosatu to organise a briefing session for its provincial executive committee on the Rea Vaya project.

Out of that briefing came a strong view that a Transport Task Team was needed which would represent the range of organisations that had an interest in issues around transport.

Commenting on public transport issues

It was agreed at the summit that various organisations, including those for women, youth, disabled, unions, scholar patrols, driving schools, the taxi industry, faith-based, Johannesburg metro police department and other transport organisations, would be invited to participate in the task team by nominating two representatives from their organisations.

The summit was used to get guidance on how the City should move forward by “collectively” deciding on and nominating individuals and organisations who would then be invited, before the end of April, to join this task team.

COMMENT

In a “heart-to-heart” session, participants were able to speak their minds. Moosajee said the burning transport issues for many people related to accessibility, affordability, safety and integrated transport.

Those who had attended were there to contribute to the betterment especially of public transport as well as an integrated system, which the City wanted to introduce.

“You are here because you have an interest in fact in making transport better in our city, in our province, in our country, not for the sake of making transport better but because we want to touch the lives of people.”

The microphone was passed among the audience, with people able to discuss a range of transport issues, including the future roll-out of Rea Vaya routes.

“The department,” said Donovan William, Moosajee’s strategic adviser, “understands the importance of communicating with stakeholders.”

Concluding the summit, Moosajee noted that invitations would soon be sent out to join the Transport Task Team.

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