Phase 1C of the Rea Vaya BRT system along Louis Botha Avenue is taking shape according to the City of Joburg, even though residents are complaining about the project which began in 2015.
The first sub-phase of the construction of Phase 1C, according to Lisa Seftel, the City’s executive director of transport, is expected to be completed by 2019.
“Bus operations are expected to start in October 2018 and the rollout will be completed by 2023,” said Seftel. “The Phase 1C development involves various infrastructure projects including rebuilding the road along Louis Botha and building or upgrading 17 stations along the route.”
There is, according to Seftel, a distinction between the Soweto-Johannesburg CBD system and Johannesburg CBD-Alexandra-Sandton system. The former is a high-floor system and the latter will be a low-floor.
“On the Phase 1C route, we are introducing a low-floor system. The stations will be lower and it will only take one step to get onto the bus from the sidewalk,” said Seftel.
“The low- and high-floor buses will not be able to dock at the same stations unless adaptations are made. We will be adapting a number of stations in the inner city to enable the transfer from high- to low-floor buses.”
Gandhi Square, Park Station and Sandton will serve as transfer hubs. Also added to the project is the building of bus depots in Selby and Alexandra.
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The system has not come without its problems, with many residents complaining that it has created nothing but chaos along Louis Botha.
Entrance to many side roads has been blocked, forcing motorists to take a long detour to connect to their routes that take them to their destinations.
Locals in the area complain that there is no parking along the route for businesses, forcing customers to park in front of residents’ homes.
Details: www. joburg.org.za
