Sandton reaches a milestone in integrating public transport
SANDTON - The minibuses taxi rank that was operating in unsatisfactory conditions adjoining the Gautrain Station has been moved into a brand new rank within the Gautrain Sandton Station premises on 7 April.
The City of Joburg and Gautrain believed this was another milestone in integrating public transport.
Speaking during the announcement, councillor Christian Walters, a member of the Mayoral Committee for Transport in the City of Joburg said, “The Gautrain Sandton Station is now a public transport interchange where members of the public can move seamlessly and easily access the taxi rank, the Gautrain bus rank and the Gautrain train station.”
The Sandton Gautrain Station taxi rank services areas including Alexandra, Midrand, Ivory Park, Rabie Ridge, Cosmo City, Tembisa and Johannesburg CBD.
The PTI taxi rank accommodates 89 taxis moving in and out of the rank each day. A new holding space for taxis to wait at before travelling to the Sandton Station has also been arranged at the corner of Katherine Avenue and Albertina Road. This is a temporary arrangement as in the long term, the City intends to provide additional holding facilities at the corner of West and Katherine avenues.
By June, the City of Johannesburg will be further enhancing integration with the introduction of a public transport loop to be shared by all buses and minibus taxis along Rivonia, Fifth and Fredman streets in the Sandton CBD. This is all part of a Sandton Transport Master Plan that has been developed by the City in partnership with Sandton property owners, developers and public transport stakeholders.
Members of the public are urged to note the new arrangements and that there will be changed traffic patterns along Rivonia, Katherine and West streets in the Sandton CBD.
“We urge people to exhibit care when walking, cycling or driving along Rivonia or West avenues while these new arrangements are bedded in,” emphasises Walters.
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