Construction is progressing well
Photo by: Creamer Media's Tasneem Bulbulia
The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) is making progress with the construction of the Rea Vaya bus rapid transit’s (BRT’s) Selby bus depot, in the Johannesburg central business district (CBD).
The depot will be used for phases 1A and 1B of the Rea Vaya BRT.
The land for the depot was acquired from Putco Bus. Construction on the depot started in May and is expected to be completed in June 2020. Thirty-one per cent of the R131-million budget will be spent with small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs).
Nine SMMEs have been appointed to date, with the ultimate aim being to appoint 12.
The JDA, which is acting on behalf of the city’s transport department, had appointed the Ruwacon and Alpha joint venture as the contractor to implement the depot.
The construction of the depot is being undertaken in three phases.
Phase 1 entailed revamping an existing building, which was completed at the end of the previous financial year. This building houses the operations control centre with offices and a large screen depicting live footage of all BRT closed-circuit television (CCTV).
The operations team is expected to move into the building soon, from its current JDA premises.
Phase 2B entails the construction of bus depot workshops and refuelling garages for two BRT operating companies.
The workshops are 20% complete. Site establishment has been completed, demolition is 95% completed, removal of asbestos has been completed, and piling is at 100%.
Moreover, layers work has begun.
The garages are 15% complete. Site establishment has been completed, demolition is 90% complete, removal of asbestos has been complete, and piling is at 30%.
Phase 2C constitutes the construction of the bus depot’s administration building for two bus operating companies.
This phase is 10% complete. Site establishment has been completed, demolition is 60% complete, and the removal of asbestos has been completed.
It is expected that the depot, once operational, will minimise dead mileage of buses for both Phase 1A and 1B routes, as well as reduce the time lost by buses in traffic congestion between depots and route starting points.
This is owing to the depot being on the BRT route, as well as it being located in an industrial area that does not carry much traffic.
The depot will have the capacity to fit the entire fleet of BRT buses, which is still growing as more routes are being added. It features upwards of 200 parking bays.