16 May 2008

By Ndaba Dlamini

WORK on the City's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is well under way, with most of the projects expected to be ready for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup™.

This was revealed during a tour of some of the BRT projects by Executive Mayor Amos Masondo; Transport Minister Jeff Radebe; the MEC for transport, public works and roads, Ignatius Jacobs; and the 2010 Local Organising Committee chief executive, Danny Jordaan, on Tuesday, 13 May.

Masondo said the BRT, or Rea Vaya, was aimed at cutting traffic through setting up a network of buses travelling along dedicated bus ways around Johannesburg.

"The Rea Vaya BRT will consist of construction of 122 kilometres of trunk routes and 150 bus stations located 500 metres apart. The BRT stations will consist of raised platforms, ramped walkways and ticket offices."

Phase 1A will be implemented in 2009, in time for the Confederations Cup; it will comprise 40 kilometres and 48 stations extending from Regina Mundi in Soweto to Sandton, in Joburg's north.

Phase 1B will be implemented in 2010 for the World Cup; it will comprise 86 kilometres and 102 stations, from Dobsonville in Soweto, through Parktown to Rivonia, in the north.

The two phases will cost R2-billion, with most of the funding coming from the national Public Transport Infrastructure and Systems Fund (PTIF).

The first stop of the tour was the intersection of Klipspruit Road and Soweto Highway, where construction of the N17 highway to link Soweto and Soccer City, the venue for the opening ceremony, opening match and closing match of the World Cup, is under way.

The cost of upgrading and widening the 5,5km road will be R420-million when complete in December 2009. The project will generate 200 unskilled jobs and 65 semi-skilled jobs.

Work on the Doornfontein Station in the inner city would comprise a retail component and was expected to be finished by April 2009, in time for the Confederations Cup, according to the project manager, Jabulani Sindane.

"We are currently demolishing the old structures at the station. The project will cost R79-million when complete."

The next stop was the Joe Slovo Road bridge in Ellis Park. Work is almost complete on the upgrading of the intersection under the bridge where new islands have been built.

A prototype bus station will be built in Joubert Park, a stone's throw from Park Station. It will also be used as a training station for bus drivers. In total, the bus station and widening of roads in the inner city will cost R12-million when complete in August 2008.

Overall, Radebe said the national government was investing over R160-billion in the Transport Infrastructure Investment Programme, with the intention of modernising the transport system, improving safety and ensuring rapid and seamless mobility of people and goods.

"The road system is getting over R70-billion of investment; airports are getting R19-billion; commuter rail is getting R16-billion; 2010 specific projects such as the Gautrain and the Gauteng Freeway Scheme cost R26-billion and R23-billion, respectively. In addition, in terms of the projects we have seen today, the N17 Nasrec Link costs R420-million and the full-scale Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system has a total cost of R2-billion."

Radebe said the N17 Nasrec Link would leave a significant and lasting legacy for footballers in terms of providing direct and rapid access to the Nasrec sports precinct.

"It will also transform Soweto by providing much-needed northern ramps to the N1 freeway, improving access between Soweto and areas such as Randburg and Sandton, and thereby helping to destroy the deliberate socio-economic barriers among our people that were created before our 1994 democratic dispensation."

Masondo said the taxi industry was not left out of the implementation of the BRT system. Through public participation and partnerships with the taxi industry, the City had approved a station model unveiled during the tour.

"As a way forward, the City has formed a Mayorla BRT Steering Committee which includes representatives from the taxi and bus associations, Top Six and the Johannesburg Regional Taxi Association."

The LOC was confident that the City's BRT would be ready for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, according to Jordaan. He was happy with the progress made so far in improving Joburg's transport infrastructure.

"We will be conducting more tours with FIFA to determine the progress of the BRT projects around the country."

Source: Joburg.org.za