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Book looks at BRT legacy
- Details
- 25 June 2012
The role of mega events in the designing of cities looks at Rea Vaya and its importance to the football World Cup in 2010.
REA VAYA'S contribution to the football world cup in 2010, as well as the transport legacy the tournament left for Johannesburg, is featured in the book Reflections & Opportunities: Design, Cities and the World Cup.
Also highlighted in the book is Rea Vaya's contribution to linking divided communities. It was published by DESIGNING_SOUTH AFRICA and edited by Zahira Asmal. Written in English and Portuguese, the book contains articles from local and international publications.
It was launched in Joburg on 12 June at the Bus Factory in Newtown, which is home to the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), a critical component in the roll out of Rea Vaya and readying Joburg for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
The chapter on Rea Vaya was written in December 2010 by Katsutoshi Ishibashi, the editor-in-chief of Axis, a Japanese publication. At the start of the chapter, is an opulent picture of Rea Vaya's Constitution Hill Station. It focuses on the intriguing artwork of the station.
Like Constitution Hill, each Rea Vaya station is a work of art. Unique works were commissioned of local artists by the JDA and the City's arts, culture and heritage department, together with Trinity Session, the commissioning agents. The commissions were chosen after an open call was made to all local artists to participate.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Ishibashi touches on the state of public transport in Joburg. He begins by saying that South Africa was given a major boost in the hosting of the World Cup, which resulted in the development of various infrastructure, such as stadiums. "Of particular significance is the public transportation system," he writes.
Quoting Joburg's portfolio head of transport, Rehana Moosajee, he illustrates the need for the largest city in South Africa to have a system such as Rea Vaya for combating traffic congestion.
Although Joburg had buses and trains, "public transportation in the true sense was not developed in the city, which was clearly divided by apartheid into residential districts according to ethnic origin … Since most means of travel relied on motor vehicles, traffic congestion during peak hours was an issue."
Phase 1A of Rea Vaya, one of several City 2010 legacy projects, was launched on 30 August 2009 at its Westgate Station. The executive mayor at the time, Amos Masondo, said: "We are all aware of the fact that Johannesburg is an important stakeholder in the four-week soccer spectacular … One of the challenges that arise in relation to the World Cup is transport.
"The City of Johannesburg is required to and has a responsibility to ensure a safe, secure and affordable public transport system for residents and visitors to all the match venues. We will use the pressure that comes with the 2010 World Cup to build a world-class transport system for all."
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
It was imperative to have a public transport system that was environmentally friendly. Masondo added: "We need a world-class public transport system for a world-class African city. The BRT Rea Vaya is part of this overall effort."
However, the BRT was not only required for the tournament. In his chapter, Ishibashi quotes Moosajee: "Although it's true the World Cup accelerated the project, we had been thinking from the very beginning that the really important thing is [to improve the lives of locals] when all the [visiting] soccer fans have left the city. That's why we designed the routes not only to connect the stadiums but also the community to important facilities such as universities and hospitals."
He explains that the City approached the minibus taxi owners and operators who would be affected by the BRT, and encouraged them to participate in Rea Vaya. Following lengthy negotiations, some 300 operators became stakeholders in the Rea Vaya management company, PioTrans. These individuals were trained and employed as bus drivers, among other jobs and positions.
In closing, Ishibashi again quotes Moosajee: "We have to consider connections with other means of transportation so that they do not become isolated. The congestion problem is not yet solved and citizen awareness of public transportation is still low … What's needed for today's public transportation in Johannesburg is the vision to improve the lives of its citizens rather than only focusing on cutting travel time. Divided communities are unacceptable."
THE BOOK
Reflections & Opportunities: Design, Cities and the World Cup gathers together South African experiences of the football tournament. It shows the investment in and infrastructure built for the month-long mega event, as well as grapples with the challenges that were faced and the solutions that were found.
It is seen as the first step in fostering a global discussion on the role of mega events in cities, and how they can be better used to catalyse urban solutions, be they spatial, social or infrastructure-oriented, notes Asmal.
She also conducted a series of seminars in Brazil, in collaboration with the South African consul-general in São Paulo, in a knowledge-exchange initiative. Brazil is the host of the next football World Cup, taking place in 2014.
While in the South American country, she was able to enlighten stakeholders about South African expertise and achievements; this has led to the establishment of DESIGNING_BRASIL.
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