THE celebratory air greeting the expansion of the Rea Vaya routes to Eldorado Park and Protea Glen was muted when a minute’s silence was held for Phumlani Mayisela, a commuter who died in an armed attack on a Rea Vaya bus on the weekend.

Executive Mayor Amos Masondo talks to Joburg radio audiences

Speaking at the launch of the Rea Vaya routes, Executive Mayor Amos Masondo described the City’s Bus Rapid Transit system as “a system of the future”.

NEW ROUTES

The crowd outside the Provincial Legislature Building in the CBD welcomed the launch of the feeder routes from Protea Glen and from Eldorado Park, joining up with the Soweto trunk route that travels to the Ellis Park Station in Doornfontein.

Present were representatives from the City, including the portfolio head of transport, Rehana Moosajee; taxi leaders, including Eric Motshwane of the Greater Johannesburg Regional Taxi Council and Sicelo Mabaso of Top Six Taxi Association; and representatives of various communiter organisations, NGOs, trade unions and civic bodies.

Outside broadcasts were also made to seven community radio stations, informing some one million people about Rea Vaya.

Additional routes around the inner city were also opened on Monday. This CBD distribution service travels passed the University of the Witwatersrand, through Braamfontein and Hillbrow to the Art Gallery Station in Joubert Park, before returning to the trunk route at the Library Gardens and Chancellor House stations.

Detail of an exquisite wood-carving of a Rea Vaya bus and station unveiled at the launch

TRANSFORMATION

The mayor urged people to pray for wisdom, because “there are some that may not understand that the BRT is a system of the future”. He added that the City would not allow Mayisela’s death to be in vain and that South Africans should remain courageous and not be intimidated by others.

Rea Vaya was a project that had impacted on lives in a positive way and had changed how people travelled, Masondo said, adding it was also a signal that the government was committed to public transport transformation.

"We salute the spirit of the men and women in this great city, who despite adversity, threats to their personal safety and ongoing harassment, join us in seeking to forge ahead with this transformational project, of which its effec will be felt by many generations to come."

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