Gauteng bus sytem to be ready for Confederations Cup

The bus rapid transport (BRT) system will be introduced in Gauteng in time for the Confederations Cup despite opposition from taxi owners, an official said on Tuesday.

Gauteng transport minister Ignatius Jacobs said taxi owners have been included in the BRT process for the past two years.

“The taxi industry elected its representative to sit on the body and worked for two years on this system with the City of Johannesburg.

“Now at the stage of implementation they are asking us to hold on,” Jacobs told reporters in Johannesburg.

He said that while the government was still prepared to listen to their concerns, it is confident that the system would be implemented in time for the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup, which kicks off in Gauteng on =June 14.

“We are confident the system will be ready… particularly for the Confederations Cup,” said Jacobs.

Some taxi operators and taxi owners have complained that the new bus transport system will take away business from them.—Sapa