BuaNews (Tshwane)
Michael Appel
4 November 2008
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The first bus station which is to cater for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, situated in Joubert Park Busway, was officially opened by Transport Minister Jeff Radebe on Tuesday.
The Joubert Park Busway, is a prototype station, meaning that it will now be up for public scrutiny, including those with disabilities, to determine whether any changes, additions or further improvements can be made before the project is rolled out to the rest of the province.
The BRT combines the best features of rail with the flexibility and cost advantage of road-based transport and has the added advantage of being easier and faster to build than light rail transport.
The system, once complete, will feature dedicated and segregated bus-only lanes, bus stations that are safe, comfortable, weather protected and equipped to deal with persons with disabilities.
In the first phase of BRT, buses will be running to 150 stations positioned half a kilometer from each other. The buses will run every three minutes during peak times, and every 10 minutes in off-peak times.
Of great convenience to the public in Gauteng, and throughout the country in the future, is also the fact that the buses run for 18 hours a day from 5am to midnight every day.
Speaking at the launch of the prototype station, Mr Radebe highlighted that the BRT system was crucial to a success of South Africa's transport system as a whole.
"Around two million bus trips are made everyday in South Africa comprising only 30 percent of transport undertaken in the country on a daily basis. This is the first example of the BRT system in SA and this station signals that we are making substantial implementation progress."
It is incredibly exciting, Mr Radebe said, that within the next year there will be buses running from Alexandra to Roodepoort, and from Soweto to Sunninghill.
Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg Amos Masondo said the station was the first visible milestone that the transport project was becoming a reality for South Africans.
"The upgrade of our transport system will lead to far less congestion on our roads and will bring a fast, efficient, safe, affordable and accessible mode of transport to Gauteng.
"The stations will all be built the same out of concrete, steel and glass due to the cost affordability.
"The platforms cost R10 million each and take eight weeks to construct," the mayor said.
Gauteng MEC for Public Transport, Roads and Works, Ignatius Jacobs said Gauteng is undergoing a transport revolution ahead of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The MEC noted with pleasure with the fact that government spending on something as important as transport has gone from R4 billion in 2004 to over R60 billion in 2008 in Gauteng alone.
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