Name and Location
Rustenburg Rapid Transport (RRT) project, North West, South Africa.

Client
Rustenburg Local Municipality.

Project Description
The project aims to introduce a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Rustenburg, in the North West, similar to the Rea Vaya BRT system operational in Johannesburg, Gauteng.

The system, to be completed in four phases, will consist of 32 bus rapid transport stations and about 600 bus stops reaching 85% of the population within 1 km of their homes.

The system will also include direct, feeder and distribution bus systems that will link with the RRT trunk roads along the R510 (to Kanana) and the R565 roads (to Phokeng) into the city centre. A fare system will be integrated, with the same pay-as-you-go smart card to be allowed as a means of payment on all routes and services.

The RRT will make use of 233 buses in Phases 1 and 2, covering 18 bus routes, carrying 180 000 passengers daily.

Value
Phase 1 of the project will cost about R3-billion.

Duration
The full-service RRT will be completed by 2020 as funding is allocated from the National treasury, but completion is currently planned for 2020.

Phase 1 is expected to be complete in the 2015/16 financial year.

Phase 2 is expected to start construction in the 2016/17 financial year and Phase 3 by 2019/20.

Latest Developments
Rustenburg Mayor Mpho Khunou has announced that the RRT will be known by the name “Ya Rona”, meaning “It is ours”.

Khunou has also announced the project’s taxi negotiating forum (TNF).

The TNF will negotiate compensation with the Rustenburg local municipality for taxi operators who can shed business, owing to the start-up of the RRT.

The TNF will also work to integrate the affected taxi operators into new bus operating companies, set to operate Phases 1 and 2 of the new RRT system.

The routes of nine different taxi associations will be directly affected by the introduction of RRT services in 2016.

Khunou says that the forum will play a critical role in the preparations for implementing the RRT system.

To date, the interests of the taxi industry, which consist of 22 associations, have been represented by the Taxi Interim Structure (TIS).

Following the identification of the taxi associations that would be affected by the first two phases of the RRT, the TIS facilitated the formation of the TNF.

The TIS will continue to keep the taxi industry informed on the broader project progress and to identify affected parties in Phases 3 and 4 of the RRT, scheduled for implementation from 2018 and onwards.

The TNF is scheduled to depart on an international study tour of integrated public transport systems to gain insight into the operational requirements and challenges of running a public transport contract for a city. 

The RRT has two main trunk routes, with construction already under way. Corridor A of the RRT is 5 km long, while Corridor B is 7.5 km long. The trunk routes will have dedicated bus lanes, pedestrian pathways and cycle lanes.

Full network design has been completed.

Bus specifications have been finalised.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
The Rustenburg Integrated Network joint venture (project management); SMEC South Africa/UWP/Phatwe Joint Venture and MCivils (Corridor A); MCivils and UMSO Contractors (Corridor B); construction of the Corridor B (north-east) bus lanes has been awarded to two contractors – MCivils (local) for three sections of the contract and UMSO for one section; ARG Architects (station design).

UMSO will widen and build the two main bridges over the railway line on the proposed transport route.  Local organisation and existing contractor MCivils, will be responsible for the construction of BRT bus lanes and new road infrastructure.

On Budget and on Time?
Too early to state.

Contact Details for Project Information
RRT marketing and communications unit manager, Muaaz Gani, email ganim@rustenburgrapidtransport.co.za.
RRT design and construction manager, Amogelang Kgoathe, email amogelangK@rustenburgrapidtransport.co.za.