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The BRT is a fast and effective transport system providing high-quality, low-cost transportation in and around cities – but is it feasible for the entire country?My offices are situated in central Johannesburg, the pulse of South Africa. For months now, I have been one of the few commuters complaining about congestion caused by the revamping of the transport system. Lanes have been closed to accommodate construction workers hard at work to meet the national deadline for 2010. Every South African now knows that 2010 is our short-term goal and one that we need to achieve beyond the world’s expectations.
The complete transformation of the public transport system in general is a much anticipated government objective. The new government has simply inherited an inefficient and unregulated transport system that has not been able to meet the needs of our society, particularly the poor and the working class.
Logistics, and moreover transportation, is the heart of any economy and its efficiency is determined by how fast the engine of the economy produces i.e. all factors of production are driven by their ability to be co-ordinated and transported around in order to meet total production.
As a result of urbanisation and centralisation of industries, the busiest cities are Johannesburg, Cape Town, Tshwane, Durban and Port Elizabeth. These are undoubtedly the major drivers of the South African economy, whether they contribute to mineral production or tourism; most workers are concentrated in those particular areas.
South Africa has also been subjected to an overflow of migrants due to a number of variables, but mostly because of people seeking work in the aforementioned cities.
Taxi industry hurdle
The major obstacle that the government has faced in order to implement the bus rapid transit (BRT) system has been the high level of resistance from the taxi industry; this is for obvious reasons. The taxi industry has not been subjected to any form of legal regulation since its existence with respect to tax and commuter liability; however, it plays a major role in driving the workforce to and from their place of work.
Introducing taxes and government regulations has left a foul taste in their mouth, moreover this lack of regulation has left them without any competition in the transport sector and created a monopoly with respect to pricing.
When addressing issues or conflicting interests in the industry, violence has become a norm and as a result, it has become very difficult for the government to stabilise the industry.
Now the major hiccup for the taxi industry is not necessarily regulation, but the fierce competition that comes with the BRT system, particularly in pricing and mobility.
The BRT system also connects in the townships and the route is also expandable; this has not gone down well with the taxi industry.
This should not be taken as a problem by taxi owners, but more as an opportunity to further expand the taxi industry and find innovative ways to retain customers.
Most commuters complain about the basic issues: service, treatment and long queues.
These are challenges that taxi owners can overcome easily, provided there is a will to do that from their side.
The grievances of members of the taxi industry cannot be overlooked, seeing that some routes used by taxi owners will be affected.
Many taxi owners believe that as a result of the BRT, jobs in the taxi industry will be shed due to the capacity that this new system will have.
The government has made efforts to get the taxi industry on board, but in the same breath, the government’s fundamental objective is to serve the needs of citizens and ensure their safety.
The dire need for BRT
The BRT firstly is a fast and effective transport system that provides high-quality, low-cost transportation in and around cities.
Currently, the first phase (Phase 1A Rea Vaya BRT) of the national plan has been completed in Johannesburg, Gauteng. It transports commuters in and around Johannesburg as well as those travelling to and from Soweto. The pricing is very affordable (as little as R5) and all the commuters I have spoken to are satisfied with the transport system and, moreover, the pricing model. The only problem that they have encountered is the capacity of the buses at peak hours – it tends to be insufficient to accommodate most of the commuters. That however, has not discouraged them to wait patiently for the BRT.
The majority of the working class of South Africa is displaced in townships; this is also an obtuse consequence of the apartheid legacy.
The new government RDP houses, with respect to geographical allocation, have exacerbated the transport issue, as these houses are generally situated in remote areas without adequate infrastructure; these are some of the challenges that the BRT needs to address.
The standard law is that a worker cannot spend more than 10% of his/her wages purely on transport, but the situation in South Africa is quite the contrary as most commuters have to take more than two trips in order to get to their final destination. Statistics further reveal that only one-third of South African households have access to a car.
The BRT system is not a unique phenomenon to South Africa; Columbia also now uses an efficient bus system, which was influenced by the fact that the country, specifically Bogotá, was plagued by violence within the taxi industry.
It is quite evident that the BRT has a permanent place in South Africa.
Traffic congestion in the cities
Another hazardous issue that has seen the government fast-track the revamping of the transport system and highway construction, is the growing traffic congestion in all cities, which also affects productivity in the country.
Most individuals who have opted to purchase a vehicle are purely motivated by the ineffective transport system in South Africa.
The BRT also plays an important role in encouraging the use of public transport. Many workers now opt to rent in areas close to where their companies are situated and although this is not always a financially sound decision, it is made in order to be closer to work.
The BRT extends to townships and other cities, which will decrease unnecessary costs in renting homes close to the workplace, among others. The transport system also has routes and times that will assist in managing traffic around cities; it is a very structured and planned system, so using yellow lanes as a deviation tool is something we will perhaps not find with the BRT system.
The future
The rail system has proven to be the cheapest form of transport, but building more infrastructure for it is far more expensive than working with what we currently have. The BRT system can only assist in dealing with the shortfalls the country has within transport. We can only hope that in the near future, other cities will promptly roll out the implementation of the BRT system.
Despite the setbacks we have had, the country can only move forward from such initiatives by the government. This is a significant beginning in addressing socio-economic conditions that tend to delay eradicating poverty.
Transport is a major contributor to our economy and making it efficient can only benefit us as a country – BRT, Rea Vaya (we are moving)!
Gugu Ndima
I am covering issues such as; preparing for energy depletion, road safety and accidents, and preparations for the 2010 World Cup.
I would really appreciate if you could help me in preparing this assignment, and any information which you feel might be resourceful in this regard will sure go a long way.
Thanking you in advance
Best Regards
Xolani R. Nyaqela (University of Johannesburg-Kingsway Campus)