ISAAC MAHLANGU

25 September 2005

JOBURG city bosses have a bold and ambitious plan to make the city’s public transport system the best in Southern Africa.

The city’s Integrated Transport Plan, a five-year project to improve public transport, is already on track, and city managers are confident it will be ready by 2008.

In terms of the plan, the city hopes to convert most of its residents into commuters by:

•Keeping public transport costs below 10% of household disposable income;

•Developing a transport system that is accessible and within 15 minutes’ walking distance of origin or final destination; and

•Developing a system with reduced rates of crime, collision, injury, fatality and property loss.

By 2030, Joburg hopes to have a world-class public transport system where taxis, buses and the Gautrain would be run as efficiently as those in New York and London.

Speaking at the launch of Public Transport Month and the Car-Free Day initiative this week, Gauteng MEC for Transport Ignatius Jacobs said the quality and image of public transport were poor.

He said most commuters were held captive by public transport because they could not afford their own cars.

Eighteen percent of the city’s public transport users spend more than 20% of their income on transport each month.

While the department was not able to provide information on the number of taxis operating in the city, the council did reveal that Metrobus, Joburg council’s bus company, transports between 80000 and 90000 commuters a day.

Charles Hlebela, a spokesman for Metrobus, said 484 buses operated in the city every day. Hlebela said Metrobus covered approximately 308 routes, with 135 dedicated to schools.

But by far the majority, 80%, of passengers on Metro buses are those travelling to and from work.

Single trip fares range from R1.80 to R13.40.