BRT insight shared

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23 October 2012

Africa's challenges include the lack of adequate public transport in metropolitan and rural areas. Bus Rapid Transit systems may be the answer, international experts opine.

Minister of Transport Ben Martins cutting the ribbon signalling the opening of the congress

TRANSPORT planners gathered at Nasrec expo centre on 8 October to share ideas about and experiences of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, at the second Congress and Exhibition of Public Transport in Africa.

Hosted by the Gauteng department of roads and transport, the gathering is held under the umbrella of the African chapter of the International Association of Public Transport (UATP). The theme of the conference, which ends on 11 October, is: "BRT as a solution for sustainable mobility".

Discussions centred on BRT as an adapted and sustainable solution for mobility in African countries. The importance of and need for planning, regulating, controlling and organising public transport markets was discussed.

The conference was opened by the MEC of roads and transport, Ismail Vadi, who said public transport needed to be integrated and enhanced. "Urban productivity is highly dependent on the efficiency of its transport system to move labour, consumers and freight between multiple origins and destinations," said Vadi.

Minister of Transport Ben Martins said reliable public transport infrastructure was needed to promote the productivity and competitiveness of countries. "High costs and tariffs associated with poor transport infrastructure are some of the reasons why developing countries continue to lag behind the developed world."

Martins pointed out that the challenges facing Africa included the lack of adequate public transport in both metropolitan and rural areas. "This is further exacerbated by the absence of an integrated public transport system to create synergy between various modes of public transport."

The introduction of BRT systems in Johannesburg and Cape Town had proven to be significant interventions to reduce the time it took people to travel from one area to another. This had benefited many workers who lived further away from their places of work, he said.

"More work is still needed to fully integrate bus and taxi operators, and this will include further capacity building in the taxi industry." The rollout of a BRT in other cities and towns would be extended across the country, he said.

EQUALITY

Rehana Moosajee, the member of the Joburg mayoral committee for transportation and the vice-president of the UATP, chaired the first session of the conference. She described public transport as social equity and justice. "Mobility is key to all part of our lives," said Moosajee, adding that BRT had become an excellent solution for cities that wanted to offer their citizens an alternative to congestion.

Transport planners gathered at Nasrec expo centre to share ideas

Fabricio Gonzalo, a BRT implementation consultant, explained how the system had affected Guatemala and the main challenges of implementation. Incorporating public transport into urban area development was important since it involved more than better accessibility, he said.

"The fact that BRT systems co-exist in the same space with other services, allows the planner to integrate and simultaneously modify the public and private space." He added that the best mobility that supported BRT systems was those that supported non-motorised travel and pedestrian projects.

Guido Bruggerman, an independent international public transport consultant, emphasised the importance of having a public service contract in the transportation sector. "A public service contract can be a driving force behind the financial sustainability of a public transport operator."

A public service contract defined the rights and obligations of both transport authority and transport operator.

Ousmane Thiame, the president of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), under which the UATP falls, said urban economies suffered from traffic congestion, losing 2 percent of gross domestic product. "BRT offers the most practical hope for change. It provides faster service than ordinary buses .This is achieved by dedicating an exclusive path for buses, limiting the number of stops, and offering pre-boarding fare payment."

He pointed out that for there to be significant progress, transport needed to become a government priority.

For more information about the conference, visit the International Association of Public Transport website or the website of the association's African branch.

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