|
 Commuters have been voting with their feet, and passenger numbers have steadily increased over the first six months.
IT has been six months since Rea Vaya’s starter service began running, and it is proving to be popular with commuters.
Rea Vaya buses have become a familiar sight on the roads
Infrastructure is working fine, one of the reasons for this success. Another is the stations, as they are not only beautiful and safe but commuters and passers-by love them, he adds. The environment at the stations “makes people less aggressive, and serves as a calm area for passengers”.
With the help of the City, Rea Vaya has trained former taxi drivers to drive its buses. According to Ngcobo, this has been very successful as there have been no fatal incidents and drivers are now experienced with the routes, and so can adhere to the schedules.
The City has done its homework, says Ngcobo, as the initial designs of the BRT have been “spot on” as far as the buses and stations are concerned. There has been a high demand for the bus service in the morning, and the first bus had to be sent out 10 minutes earlier, at 4.50am, to accommodate passengers who wanted to be at work by 6am.
By May, 143 buses are scheduled to be in use to serve the growing number of passengers.
Commuters can express their opinions about the service, send comments and raise uncertainties, which are resolved almost immediately, through Rea Vaya’s Facebook site. For example, one commuter, Philip Axt, said: “I think the Rea Vaya is a great project, showing that Joburg is only going up in the world.”
Rea Vaya’s full phase one comprises three stages:
Phase 1A, which is scheduled to be completed by May, includes a trunk service from Soweto to Ellis Park Stadium on the eastern edge of the city. This route covers approximately 25,5 kilometres and passes through stations such as Orlando Stadium, Westgate, Chancellor House, Beyers Naude Square, Carlton Centre, Fashion Square, Johannesburg Art Gallery and the University of Johannesburg’s Doornfontein campus.
Phase 1B is set to run from Dobsonville in Soweto past both the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand towards Parktown and then up to Metro Centre and down Rissik Street to join Phase 1A. Phase 1B has been refined and the full details are still being finalised.
Phase 1C, which is still to be planned, was initially envisaged to cover the east-west direction, from Alexandra to Cresta.
Rehana Moosajee, the member of the mayoral committee for transport, says: “BRTs are most successful if rolled out in ‘manageable chunks’, among other reasons”.
Rea Vaya was officially launched at the end of August 2009 with a phase 1A starter service by Executive Mayor Amos Masondo, Moosajee and Sbu Ndebele, the minister of transport. At the launch, Ndebele said: “Going to work must not be a life-threatening and nail-biting experience. BRT is about a collective peace of mind. Today we start a special journey.”
Speaking about the system, Moosajee says: “The Rea Vaya BRT project is revolutionising public transport and transforming the city of Johannesburg into a place all residents can be proud of … For those commuters who live near the Rea Vaya, the City is fulfilling its commitment to safe, reliable and affordable public transport.”
Related stories:
|
News Archive 
