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 make use of 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
Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s (MBSA’s) Sandown Motor Holdings has won the tender to provide the 134 buses necessary for the roll-out of the 18 km Phase 1B of Johannesburg’s Rea Vaya BRT system.

The deal is valued at more than R300-million.

Rea Vaya Phase 1B covers ten stations, passing through Noordgesicht, New Canada, Pennyville, Bosmont, Coronationville, Newclare, Westbury, Westdene, Melville, Auckland Park and Parktown.

MBSA’s bus and coach unit will supply the bus chassis for the 134-unit requirement, comprising ninety-three 12 m feeder buses and forty-one 18 m raised-floor articulated buses, which will be used on the trunk routes, says MBSA commercial vehicles bus and coach brand manager Dr Dirk Ansorge.

Marcopolo South Africa will supply the bus bodies. Local content on the bus bodies is expected to exceed 80%, as dictated by the tender.

South African content on the bus chassis will reach about 30% by volume and includes local components such as tyres, wiring looms and fuel tanks.

The bus chassis and power trains will be imported from Brazil, with local completely knock-down assembly to take place at MBSA’s East London plant.

The buses – all of them wheelchair friendly – would use clean-burning Euro 5 engines, said Ansorge, and feature fully automatic Voith transmissions.

The first Rea Vaya Phase-1B unit is expected to be completed by the end of June, running to the second half of October. The plan is to assemble ten chassis a week.

The Rea Vaya contract will create 40 additional jobs on the bus line.

The vehicles are expected to have a life cycle of 12 years.

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.