The Public Transport Summit that took place on Saturday, 15 August saw the City and key stakeholders reach agreement on a number of issues including the creation of a safe, efficient and integrated public transport network and the speedy implementation and extension of Rea Vaya, particularly to areas where public transport is most needed.
More than 1300 representatives from various stakeholders groups, including commuter organizations, the taxi and bus industries, unions, scholars, and the disabled attended the Summit.
During his keynote address, the executive mayor of Johannesburg, Amos Masondo, said that public transport is at a turning point. “Today, we are here to share information, consider and discuss issues, deepen our understanding about Rea Vaya and together look at ways in which we can successfully drive public transport forward, for the benefit of commuters, citizens and visitors,” he said.
Stakeholders raised a number of concerns about the BRT system, such as the safety of pedestrians who need to cross to the middle of the road to access the stations; fears about being caught between different groups in the taxi industry; and fears from taxi operators about the new system.
However, stakeholders acknowledged the visionary work done by the City to transform public transport, including the implementation of the Rea Vaya BRT, as well as the role of the Gauteng and national Government in funding public transport improvements as part of the legacy for the FIFA Soccer World Cup in 2010.
Following hours of deliberations the Summit agreed to commit to the creation of a safe, fast, and convenient public transport system in the City, with integrated modes of transport to ensure that commuters can move easily between buses, taxis and rail; the reduction of deaths on the City’s roads and railways; professional driver training; job creation; ensuring roadworthy vehicles for public transport and the speedy implementation of Rea Vaya.
It was also resolved to extend the BRT system to areas where there is a dire need for public transport. Measures such as park and ride facilities to enable car users to use Rea Vaya will also be looked at. Furthermore, it was decided that communication should be improved to ensure stakeholder support of the new Rea Vaya system and to bring all taxi industry groups on board.
In terms of consultation to ensure the implementation of a world-class public transport system, the decision was taken to strengthen the public transport stakeholder forum managed by the Department of Transportation and to improve Government’s responsiveness to feedback from user forums and members of the public.
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