Sustainable transport- the case of
Rea Vaya Johannesburg
Presentation Outline
• Introduction
• Key success areas/ lessons
• Threats, challenges and opportunities
for action
• 5 Key thematic questions/issues
• Policy and governance requirements
• Concluding remarks
• Recommendations for Green Economy
Plan
From private vehicles to
buses
From taxis to buses
But taxis will always remain
Introduction
• Transport sector is the second largest contributor to
poor air quality in Johannesburg
• Major congestion even in off peak hours
• Opportunity to reduce number of trips and travel time
and therefore reduce vehicle emissions
• BRT is the single biggest investment in reducing
greenhouse gas emissions
• Initial estimate that Rea Vaya will reduce 382 940 tCO2
equivalent by 2013 (122 km) and 1 600 000 tCO 2
equivalent by 2020 (330km)
Overview of Rea Vaya
– Phase 1A: Regina Mundi (Lakeview) to Ellis Park
• Includes events service for 2010 Fifa World
Cup
– Phase 1B: Second Soweto route including past UJ
and Wits and to Sandton;
• Feeders extending to Lenasia
• Oxford Road link may be phased in later than
Soweto routes
– Phase 1C: New route from Alex to Cresta
• Detailed planning still to be done
Facts and figures
• 121 Rea Vaya buses (articulated & complementary)
• 25,5 kms of trunk infrastructure supported by 27
stations
• One new Rea Vaya Bus Operating company
• Patronage is 29 000 PAX with 950 trips
• Expected to generate R158 m in year one
• A shared Rea Vaya control centre at Roads Agency
Head Office
• A fare system using smartcards
• Capital expenditure = R1,58bn to date
• 5599 jobs created
In implementation now
Benefits
• Economic Growth:
– Increasing mobility and reducing congestion
– Job creation, new industries
– Potential to transform public transport sector
especially taxis.
• Poverty Alleviation- Reducing cost of transport to
residents, including most vulnerable
• Restructuring Apartheid City
– Enables transit-orientated development along key
transport corridors
– Brings “Soweto closer to the CBD”
• Sustainable Development
– Significant reduction in CO2 emissions
• Good governance-regulate and enforce
Key success areas/ lessons
• Link programme to existing climate change
opportunities to capitalise on benefits e.g. fleet
technology, planning imperatives, air quality
• Involve experts as much as possible- project
supported by German and ITDP experts throughout
• CDM application process allows ongoing internal
engagement to build internal capacity and institutional
knowledge
• Complicated methodology for baseline assessmentlessons learnt from Transmelinio in Bogotá
• Report progress on an ongoing basis for checks and
balances
Threats, Challenges and
Opportunities for action
• World class public transport system
• The taxi industry- here to stay
• Opportunity to move operators from second to first
economy- from taxi owners to bus owners/ operators
• New jobs in bus operation, maintenance, fare collection,
security
• Testing next generation climate friendly buses including
ethanol, CNG, and biodiesel buses in order to gain
operational, environmental, and financial data on their
impact
• Teething problems in implementation but system
working well to date
5 Key thematic questions/issues
• Public transport as a major structuring element in spatial
orientation of cities and municipalities
• Transport as an element for low carbon city development
• Fleet and fuel technologies that are locally relevant
• Transformation and reform of transport sector
• Mobility as a contributor to productivity and economy
Policy shifts for Sustainable
Transport
• Shift commuters to public transport – give consumers a
choice
• Reclaim green spaces and urban landscape for walking and
biking by creating commuter Non-Motorized Transit (NMT)
routes
• New technologies- cleaner buses and use cleaner fuel to
improve air quality
• Incentives for employers to develop ride-share, car pool
and public infrastructure
• Penalties one commuter, one car drivers via toll fees,
congestion charges, and higher parking fees at one’s place
of work
Policy shifts for
sustainable transport
• Enforce higher emissions standards and get polluting
vehicles off the road
• Guide to financing and technology choices-national
• Land use requirements for nodes
• Densification programme on BRT routes through urban
design
• Package of investment portfolios for developers within the
corridors
• Secondary policy interventions e.g non-motorised
interventions and greening
Concluding remarks
• Rea Vaya is a test case for South Africa
• Is there a need for a uniform approach?
• Funding of public transport- taxi recapitalization,
bus subsidies, vehicle allowances and tax
implications
• Transport sector and opportunities for emission
reductions vis a vis urbanisation trends
• NY transist systems carries 4 million passengers a
day??
• IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE
Recommendations
• Involve experts as much as possible- project supported
by German and ITDP experts throughout
• Link programme to existing climate change
opportunities to capitalize on benefits e.g. fleet
technology, planning imperatives, air quality
• CDM application process, first of its kind in Africa-allow
ongoing internal engagement to build internal capacity
and institutional knowledge
• Complicated methodology for baseline assessmentlessons learnt from Transmelinio in Bogotá
• Report progress on an ongoing basis for checks and
balances
Recommendations
• Government must govern and lead
• Cities and municipalities to continue to be centres of
innovation and learning
• Build cities of the future where our children can live
• BRT has a potential to revolutionalise our transport
system in terms of infrastructure, funding model and
implementation
• Green transport for a green economy
Dankie, Thank you, Enkosi,Ke a leboga, Ndolivhiwu, Hi
khensile, Ke a leboha
Flora Mokgohloa
Executive Director Environmental Management
City of Johannesburg
+27 11 587 4210
+27 82 559 3750
floram@joburg.org.za
environment@joburg.org.za
www.joburg.org.za