Manoeuvring through the obstacle course

GOING WELL

"It's going well. They have more responsibilities now but I think they are coping exceptionally well," he says. And although BRT buses took a bit of a pounding in the beginning, with minor scratches and dents the order of the day, van Niekerk says things are already looking much better.

Making use of Rea Vaya - a new public transport option

Left hand casually on his leg, he approaches the Carlton Centre Station like a pro. But then he is a pro; with a code 11 driving licence he is well equipped to deal with heavy vehicles. And his three years' experience as a taxi driver are clearly an added bonus - it must help to have been on the other side once.

The dedicated lanes for the Rea Vaya buses

BRT LANES

Congestion along some of the BRT roads remains a serious challenge. And although the City is working hard to iron out the problems, little hiccups continue to irk commuters.

At Thokoza Park Station, the mechanism to open the station doors from inside the bus suddenly refuses to work. Commuters wait just a short while as station volunteers scramble to find the remote control inside the station. But the passengers are quick to voice their disgruntlement.

Sizwe Dlamini, a student, says he only occasionally makes use of Rea Vaya. But it is his preferred choice of public transport between his home in Dobsonville, in Soweto and the Joburg inner city.

"I prefer it [Rea Vaya] to the taxis because it is cheaper and quicker," he says. But the buses get so full that he has to walk to a station further up the road so that he at least gets a place – seated or standing. It seems hard to believe, but by the time the bus gets to the Dobsonville Station, it is filled to capacity – carrying about 117 passengers into Joburg; and this at 11 in the morning.

CHOCK-A-BLOCK

Alfred Nxusa, a traffic manager at Putco, has also been seconded to help the taxi industry with the takeover. With 23 years in the passenger transport industry, he has much praise for the efficiency of the Rea Vaya service. He says one thing commuters seem to be struggling to get used to is standing in the buses, with many complaining that they don't want to do this.

But, no matter what time of day, says Nxusa, you will find the trunk route between Soweto and the inner city packed to capacity.
Van Niekerk is excited about the project, which will eventually be entirely taken over by the taxi industry - operations, management and maintenance of the Rea Vaya system - early this year.

At the depot, staff previously employed by taxi operators now oversee the filling of the buses with diesel, while others keep the vehicles clean and hygienic at all times.

The next group of 30 trainee bus drivers have started already on the six-week training programme and are at Scania, the bus manufacturer, where they are learning the technical intricacies of the BRT buses, he confirms. Another 96 former taxi drivers will be trained over the next few months, taking the tally to 170. All candidates have to be in possession of a heavy duty driving licence and must be able to read and write.

Any chance of these newly trained bus drivers returning to their former places of employ, the taxi industry? Not likely. As one, Charles Mavulula, who was behind the wheel of a taxi for almost 20 years, fervently exclaims: "No, no, no, I won't go back. I have a job. It is a better job. My family are very happy."