21 August 2008
editorial
Johannesburg — LAST week's decision by Gauteng's taxi industry to pull out of the planned Rea Vaya bus rapid transit system is disturbing, and especially because the reasons given seemed so thin.
Officials of the main taxi bodies complained, essentially, that their members, who fear being run out of business by the new buses, had not been adequately consulted and were confused. What prompted this now is unclear. But the idea is that though cities such as Johannesburg would build the infrastructure for the system, existing operators - bus and taxi - would operate some or all of the buses.
There have been lengthy negotiations between the cities and the taxi industry from early on -- some would even say too early, because the consultation process began long before it was clear what it was exactly that was being consulted about. One commentator argued on these pages recently that there wasn't enough substance to the bus rapid transit business plans on the table, so it wasn't surprising that talks with the taxi industry had tended to end in statements from the taxis such as "we want 100% control of all bus rapid transit systems".
But Johannesburg certainly seemed to think it was on the way to doing deals with the taxis. It had signed a memorandum of understanding with both bus and taxi operators. It now says the first phase of the bus system will be ready anyway by next year, in time for the pan-African Confederations Cup soccer tournament. And there is no reason why it shouldn't be. The city has already started on building some of the routes and has gone ahead and ordered buses pre-emptively.
But we can't help fearing that disaffected taxi operators and drivers could disrupt the whole process. These are not people who are known for being either disciplined or nonviolent when they believe their routes are at risk. Last week's grandstanding hints that their leaders aren't disposed to rein them in and keep them at the negotiating table.
Gauteng's cities will have to handle this sensitively, but firmly. Taxi operators should not be allowed to hold to ransom a new approach to public transport that, if implemented properly, could benefit SA's big cities in the long term, and its soccer host country efforts in the near term.
We urgently need more public transport to relieve congestion on our roads and to cut noxious emissions into our urban air. We need safe, affordable public transport to make it cheaper and easier for people to seek work and travel to and from their workplaces. SA's bus transport has been in decline for years as the taxi industry has grown. And although the taxis have become the backbone of our public transport system, they are not the optimal way to move very large numbers of people along regular routes. The bus rapid transit system is a relatively cost-effective way of doing this.
The concept, drawn from South America, involves extra-long buses that travel every few minutes along dedicated bus lanes. In Johannesburg, the routes would run all the way from Lenasia to Sunninghill, through and between the suburbs on the way. And though the first phases will focus on routes designed to serve visiting and local soccer fans, the later phases would span the city. The cities need more of this kind of infrastructure, not less, and it's not in anyone's interests to derail it.
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