IN THE NEWS 

With the City's Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit system gearing to extend routes across Johannesburg to complete the first phase of the project, minor adjustments will be made to the fares.

THE price for the Rea Vaya buses on the trunk route between Soweto and the city will be adjusted by a rand from 1 March.

Fares will, however, remain constant during the the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Fares will not change during the World Cup

"Due to the extension and improvement of services and a general increase in operating costs since the determination of the commencement fare for the starter service, there will be a fare adjustment from 1 March on the (T1) trunk service, from the current fare of R5 per trip to R6 per trip," the mayoral committee member for transport, Rehana Moosajee told a media briefing.

A trip on a feeder bs connecting to a trunk service in the inner city would cost R9.50.

“We remain convinced that the fees are affordable, compared to other modes [of transport] and represent excellent value for money,” Moosajee added.

Moosajee was addressing the media on 10 February on extension plans for the Rea Vaya service.

The complete phase 1A will be rolled out between 1 March and 3 May. The extension and improvement of services and a general increase in operating costs had resulted in the fare adjustment, she explained.

This means that the complementary service from Dobsonville to the CBD and Ellis Park (route C1) will cost R6; from Naledi via Thokoza Park Station to the CBD (route F1) will cost R9,50; from Jabavu via Lake View Station to the CBD (route F3) will be R9,50; and from Mofolo via Boomtown Station to the CBD (route F4) will cost R9,50.

The complementary service from Dobsonville to Maponya Mall (route C2) will cost R6; from Protea Glen via Thokoza Park to the CBD (route F2) will cost R9,50; and from Eldorado Park via Thokoza Park to the CBD (route F5) will cost R9,50.

According to Lisa Seftel, the City’s executive director of transport, ticket prices will remain static during the World Cup.

Johannesburg was looking to introduce a smart card service in the future, which would allow passengers to load money on to a card and swipe it at bus stations. This would eradicate the paper ticket service and would allow commuters to load money as they saw fit, she said.

A CBD distribution service will be available from trunk routes linking with Braamfontein, the University of the Witwatersrand and Hillbrow towards the Art Gallery Station and return on the same route. This service will be a free transfer if the passengers arrive via the trunk route from Soweto; passengers boarding on route will pay R3,50.

Seftel added that ticket prices would rise or fall depending on the input costs of running the Rea Vaya.

The phase 1A “starter service” now runs along a trunk route from Soweto to Ellis Park Stadium on the eastern edge of the inner city. This route covers 25,5 kilometres and passes through stations such as Orlando Stadium, Westgate, Chancellor House, Beyers Naude Square, Carlton Centre, Fashion Square, Johannesburg Art Gallery and the University of Johannesburg’s Doornfontein Campus.

Related stories:

• Rea Vaya routes
• New routes to be added by May
• Rea Vaya on track to serve more people
• Taxi industry poised to own Rea Vaya