The Rea Vaya bus takes off from Ellis Park East station with a group of passengers from a range of backgrounds each with their own story to tell. One of them is Chris Mathabathe, a smartly dressed IT consultant, who is using his lunch break wisely.  He is quickly going into town to buy spare parts for his car from a specialized dealership on Kruis street. He says that with the 5 Rand he would have spent on parking he is rather using the bus. "This way I get to sit back and relax, I don't have to worry about traffic or getting fined for parking in the wrong spot" he says as he gets comfortable in his chair.

For  Mathabathe, traveling with Rea Vaya is not only about convenience, the bus has come as a solution to a problem in his life. A year ago Chris moved from his home in Soweto to live nearer his work in Bertrams but his family still stay in Soweto.  He misses them and the atmosphere of home so, for him, the bus system  has played a vital role in helping him reconnect with his loved ones in a safe and affordable way, "These days I visit them at least once a weekend!" says Chris.

A few seats away is Loyiso Ngqiniko, a 27 year old security guard who lives and works in Soweto. He uses the Rea Vaya bus to get to work and back every day. At the moment  however,  he is using the bus to get to the traffic department in town. It is here that he will be submitting his application forms to become a traffic official. Loyiso has always wanted to work for the traffic department because for him, it's really important that people feel safe and respected as they travel around our city. It's for this reason that he enjoys the Rea Vaya buses. "On the busses people are treated with respect, there is no chaos and there is no quarreling" he says "I can ask the ambassadors and the drivers anything I like and they always treat me with respect"

Just then the sound of a babies cry fills the bus. A woman stands with her child in the aisle with a large bundle of groceries at her feet.  All the seats are taken and the child is obviously uncomfortable. A young man sitting near them offers his seat and the mother, Mbemba Mami, smiles gratefully and sits down. Mbemba is from the Democratic Republic of Congo and is still struggling to make ends meet without a job. She uses the Rea Vaya bus to get to the cheaper shops in town where she can buy her food in bulk. She says that life in South Africa has not been easy but adds "it's nice that on the bus people seem to care"

The City of Joburg is committed to improving the experiences of Rea Vaya commuters and has launched a campaign inviting people to SMS suggestions to  33422 on how to improve the Rea Vaya BRT system. They have the opportunity to win RR500!

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