4 April 2008

By Ndaba Dlamini

WORK on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is progressing well, with most of the capital projects in the design or implementation stage.

The BRT, or Rea Vaya, is aimed at cutting traffic through setting up a network of buses travelling along dedicated bus ways around Johannesburg, with bus stations every 500 metres.

When complete, the project will consist of over 300 kilometres of bus lanes traversing the inner city and surrounding suburbs and townships. It is envisaged that the system will complement existing and new taxi, rail and Metrobus schemes.

Phase one of the project has already begun and will be operational by 2009, according to a quarterly progress report for the second quarter of 2007-08. Rea Vaya will be fully operational for the 2010World Cup.

The north-south Rea Vaya BRT flagship corridor runs from Regina Mundi Church in Soweto to Parktown; it is at a design stage. This corridor comprises of five sections; the first starts at Koma Road and runs to the Klipspruit Culvert just north of the Soweto highway. The second section runs from the Klipspruit Culvert to Main Reef Road. These two sections are at the design stage.

Work on the third section, from Main Reef to Portland-Perth roads, is expected to start soon. The preliminary designs have been approved and a community participation process involving affected residents and businesses is under way.

As part of the process, presentations have been given to the South African Heritage Resource Association on the impact of the BRT on five houses that the association had identified to have potential heritage value. However, after investigations, the City's transportation department has proved that the houses do not meet the heritage criteria.

A new fleet of BRT buses will travel on median lanes, thus reducing traffic on the roads The fourth section runs from the Empire Road-Jan Smuts Avenue intersection to the Empire Road-Victoria Road intersection and the Portland-Perth Road to Empire-Jan Smuts section completes the Regina Mundi to Parktown corridor. The two sections are at a design stage.

Yet another north-south BRT flagship project is the Parktown to Sunninghill corridor, a two-section transport system at the design stage. The corridor comprises of the Parktown to Sandton section and the Sandton to Sunninghill section.

Perhaps the most progressive development in the system is the Ellis Park Stadium Rea Vaya BRT and precinct. Work on the R110-million project, which comprises of three sections, started in January 2007 and is on schedule.

The Charlton Terrace: Gordon to Hadfield roads, is 95 percent complete and negotiations are under way with the Engen garage to relocate the garage to accommodate a BRT station. The section will be done as part of the Bertrams Road project.

The Saratoga section running from Hadfield to Nugget roads is under construction and work is expected to be completed in November 2008. Work on the railway station upgrades will be done by the South Africa Rail Commuter Association (SARCC), which will do "minor" upgrades to Ellis Park Station and "major" upgrades to Doornfontein Station.

Work on a pedestrian corridor in the Ellis Park precinct will begin once the designs of the railway stations have been finalised by the SARCC.

The upgrading of the Pat Mbatha Motorway, a public transport road within the Soweto Highway about 4,7km long is nearing completion with the relocation of the New Jersey concrete barriers and new road markings. Rumble strips will be installed to separate Pat Mbatha and the Soweto Highway.

An international transit and shopping centre (ITSC) long distance public transport facility for travellers to other provinces and neighbouring countries is also on the cards. It will have storage facilities, overnight accommodation for travellers, shopping facilities and, possibly, immigration offices.

The first phase of the project will consist of the BRT link between Harrison and Simmonds streets, in the CBD, which interfaces with the inner city BRT link as well as the purchase of the land. The link is expected to be completed by June 2008 after which, with help from the private sector, the construction of the ITSC will begin.

Source: Joburg.org.za