On the pilot run on Sunday from downtown Johannesburg to Soweto, the colourful buses were followed by waving, clapping, cheering crowds.  At stations along the route, queues of people of all ages stood waving South African flags and singing 'rea vaya' (we are moving) as they waited to board.  Clearly, a transport solution welcomed enthusiastically by many locals.  Johannesburg has been sorely lacking a decent public transport system until now.

The Rea Vaya buses are designed to be user friendly - especially for the disabled, elderly and mothers with small children.

The new service commenced between the landmark Regina Mundi Church in Soweto and Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Monday morning, with commuters embarking and disembarking at raised stations with level boarding situated every half to three-quarters of a kilometre. Modelled on Columbia's public transport system, the BRT system is expected to be rolled out to other major metropolitan areas around the country.

The system features dedicated bus lanes and stations that are safe, comfortable, weather-protected and equipped for disabled passengers.

Johannesburg's BRT system includes 143 new buses that will operate between 05h00 and 23h00 daily; every 3 minutes during peak hours and every 10 minutes during off-peak times.

At the moment, commuters pay R3 for a trip in the inner city and R8 for a full trip, with any number of transfers within two hours. Tickets are only available at the stations and other service points.  Because the drivers do not have to hassle with issuing tickets and change, the whole service is speedier.

The second BRT route from Soweto past the University of Johannesburg and University of the Witwatersrand and on to Sandton is expected to be operating in time for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. A third route will run between Alexandra and Cresta.

It's estimated that some 43-million South Africans depend on public transport and the new BRT system is expected to provide an affordable, safe and reliable solution.

Source: BuaNews