The efficiency and friendliness of Rea Vaya stood out for visiting delegates in Joburg on a fact-finding mission.

INFORMATION was shared with a delegation from the Senegalese capital of Dakar, which was in town to study Joburg's Rea Vaya.

Managing director of Dakar’s Transport Department, Soudou Diagne with Sicelo Mabaso of the taxi industry and MMC for transport in the City, Rehana Moosajee

A tour and presentation was hosted by the City's transport department and the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) on 26 July, at which the visitors heard how the Bus Rapid Transit system had become an easier mode of public transport for many commuters.

The delegation was facilitated by the World Bank and CODATU,(the Organization for Cooperation pour le Development et l Amelioration des Transports Urbans et periurbans) currently assisting the city of Dakar with the planning of its infrastructure and urban mobility improvement process.

The presentation looked at how Rea Vaya had become an easier and more efficient mode of transport in Johannesburg. Also discussed were the Rea Vaya phases that would be implemented because of public demand.

Rehana Moosajee, the member of Johannesburg's mayoral committee for transport, said Joburg was an African world-class city and it prided itself on this slogan. "We want to show the rest of the world that our transport system works and can be implemented in any other city around the world to improve efficiency in their cities as well," Moosajee added.

The delegates were impressed by how Rea Vaya moved around the CBD. On the road tour, the first stop from the JRA offices on Sauer Street was Westgate Station, the biggest and busiest Rea Vaya station. Delegates were informed of the detail station design features as well as the station management system.

Rea Vaya has become an easy way to travel, even for businessmen

From here, it was straight to Soccer City. The managing director of Dakar's Transport Department, Mr Soudou Diagne, was impressed by the speed with which the bus moved on the dedicated lane once out of the CBD. Delegates were also impressed by the pride staff members at all levels took in their role in making the new system work and they also took the liberty of asking commuters whether they liked the system. Most commuters indicated that the system is a big improvement and that they want more buses to be introduced.

"I would really like to propose such transportation in Dakar. Dakar is a big city with a population of over 2,5 million people. Adding a more efficient mode of transport such as Rea Vaya would alleviate congestion within our city," he added.

However, finances would be a challenge he said. He noticed from the presentation that the Member of the Mayoral Committee and her team worked closely with the national government, and with the minibus taxi industry in setting up Rea Vaya, and that this cooperative approach has been a big part of the success; in Dakar things may work a bit differently, as we need to get cooperation between all levels of government. So far we have made good progress in establishing cooperation with the taxi industry.

"My colleagues and I have learned a lot about Rea Vaya and we are very impressed. The MMC and her team of senior officials have today shown us that the combination of hard work and communication between them does pay off," said Diagne.

Madam Fayol Tall, from the Dakar finance ministry, was impressed by the interaction between commuters and Rea Vaya officials. "The interaction and the friendliness of these people is amazing. I am thoroughly impressed by them," she said. The delegation will also be visiting the City of Cape Town and the City of Lagos before they return to Dakar and is keen to establish an ongoing working relationship with the CoJ as a leading African City.

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