Name and Location
Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) system Phase 1B, Gauteng, South Africa.

Client
The City of Johannesburg.

Project Description
Phase 1B of the Rea Vaya BRT system is the second loop, or second trunk route, in the overall BRT system. The 18 km, ten-station phase will run from Noordgezicht to Parktown, and into the Johannesburg central business district (CBD).

The already operational Phase 1A of the BRT system runs from Thokoza Park, in Soweto, to Ellis Park, and also comprises routes through the CBD. It covers 25.5 km and has 33 stations.

A trunk route, such as the one in Phase 1A and 1B, is typically supported by several BRT feeder services ferrying passengers to and from the main routes.

The new route will cover areas, such as the universities of Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand, as well as the Helen Joseph and Rahima Moosa hospitals. An additional 45 000 passengers are expected to use the BRT system each weekday, following the completion of this phase.

It will also result in another 134 buses being added to the existing fleet of 143.

The third phase of the project, Phase 1C, is planned to run from Parktown to Sandton. A positive decision on this route’s environmental-impact assessment is still outstanding. Additional Rea Vaya phases will result in other links from Dobsonville, Protea Glen, Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital, Sunninghill and Alexandra being integrated into the existing system.

Value
Phase 1B of the Rea Vaya BRT system is estimated at R1.2-billion and will be funded by government.

Phase 1A cost R1.6-billion to implement.

Duration
Not stated.

Latest Developments
The City of Johannesburg has rolled out the second phase of the Rea Vaya BRT system, in Johannesburg, following protracted negotiations between city officials and taxi association leaders.

The launch of the R1.7-billion Phase 1b, which will operate on a dedicated lane between Noordgesig station, in Soweto, and Ellis Park station, in Doornfontein, comes shortly after the conclusion of an “equitable deal” that will result in public transport operators affected by the introduction of an alternative public transport system being remunerated.

While city officials will not elaborate on the nature or extent of this remuneration, City of Johannesburg executive mayor Parks Tau has said that the in-principle agreement has outlined a business model that allows for the redeployment of former bus and taxi operators within the Rea Vaya system.

The deal will also result in the removal of competing vehicles from the route and the scrapping of disposable or old and unsafe taxis and buses. An extensive minibus taxi driver empowerment programme will also be implemented to enable taxi drivers to become Rea Vaya drivers.

The 12-year bus operations contract will also result in affected taxi and bus operators operating this second phase from May next year.

The BRT system is aimed at dismantling spatial segregation and enabling residents in the urban periphery to gain access to facilities and institutions within the city’s commercial hubs.

It also forms part of the city’s larger Corridors of Freedom initiative, which aims to develop well-planned transport arteries linked to interchanges dedicated to mixed-used development, such as high-density accommodation supported by office buildings, retail development and recreation sites.

Users of the second-phase route will be able to access key public hospitals, such as Rahima Moosa and Helen Joseph, private hospitals, such as Brenthurst Clinic and Parklane Clinic, as well as educational institutions, such as the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits).

Thirteen new Rea Vaya stations have been built along the Phase 1b trunk route, which is expected to carry 134 buses and up to 60 000 commuters a day.

This trunk route service is further supported by complementary bus services, which start on end routes in mixed traffic but join the trunk route at a later stage, and feeder bus services, which start in mixed traffic and end at a Rea Vaya station. The network encompasses a 93 km long route.

To use the bus route, commuters buy Rea Vaya smartcards at ticket counters inside the designated stations and load a specified amount of credit, after which the card is swiped every time the commuter enters and exits a Rea Vaya bus.

The transport tariff is calculated in 5 km increments, starting at R5.50 for up to 5 km of travel, and is capped at R12.50 for the entire 93 km route.

Construction on the third phase of the Rea Vaya BRT system is set to start next year and will result in the construction of a dedicated bus lane and stations servicing the route from Wits to the Sandton Gautrain station.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) (main implementing agency); Scania (supply and delivery of chassis and engines for BRT buses); Marcopolo South Africa (bus bodies) and MBSA Sandown Motor Holdings (buses).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
BRT marketing and communications, tel +27 11 544 1900, cell +27 83 441 6747.
City of Johannesburg Rea Vaya project manager Jacques van Zijl, tel +27 11 870 4613; or communications deputy director Nthatisi Modingoane, tel +27 11 407 7354, fax +27 11 403 3494, cell +27 82 467 9228 or email nthatisem@joburg.org.za.
JDA, tel +27 11 688 7851, fax +27 11 688 7899 or email info@jda.org.za.
Scania, tel +27 11 661 9600.
MBSA, tel +27 12 677 1500.