Tshwane to introduce more BRT buses if demand significant
The City of Tshwane aims to roll out 171 buses by November as part of the inception phase of its bus rapid transit (BRT) system, with the view to establish additional stages and introduce further buses if there is demand.
This was according to bus operating company Tshwane Rapid Transit (TRT) CEO Bukeka Mahlutshana, who addressed the media in Pretoria today.
TRT, a private company, had been contracted in 2012 by the City of Tshwane to operate the BRT planning and run the inception phase of the system, which included the roll-out of an initial 30 buses.
The three-year inception phase, which is expected to begin in November, will allow the city to identify the taxi and bus operators affected by the BRT system and integrate them into the system by offering them jobs as BRT drivers.
At least 48 drivers from the taxi industry had been employed, as part of the inception phase, and had undergone extensive training to operate the buses.
TRT operations manager Fanie van der Walt revealed that TRT had spent three months with the selected taxi drivers to explain the long-term relationship with the company and the benefits of becoming bus drivers for the BRT system. He added that the driver contact was 15 years, which ensured job security and opportunities for growth in the company.
The inception phase of the BRT system would be followed by a 12-year contract between the city and TRT, the latter of which would be contracted to run the buses as Tshwane’s management company.
The contract was being negotiated on a rate by kilometre model.
“The plan is to employ more people from the taxi industry to curb the job losses experienced by those who will be affected by the BRT routes. We intend to integrate those who are affected into the BRT system,” noted Mahlutshana.
TRT deputy chairperson Piet Mahlangu hoped the image of the taxi industry would be improved following the inception of the BRT system and stated that backlash was not expected from the taxi industry regarding the implementation of the BRT system in Tshwane.
Mahlangu added that TRT was exploring all opportunities that arose from the implementation phase and hoped that people in the taxi industry would be the primary beneficiaries of such opportunities.
“The National Taxi Alliance and the South African National Taxi Council are working together in Tshwane to ensure [the Tshwane BRT system] is a success,” he said.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation