The outcome of the ANCs long-awaited KwaZulu-Natal conference was a win for the Thuma Mina crowd. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
Significant progress has been made on A Re Yeng, the City of Tshwane’s bus rapid transit (BRT) project, since its first station was completed in Hatfield. A Re Yeng (meaning “let’s go!” in Setswana) is a high quality, rapid, affordable, safe and convenient public bus service. It forms part of the City’s revitalisation project and 2055 vision of providing world-class roads and infrastructure networks and systems to facilitate seamless mobility of goods and people and promote socio-economic development.
A Re Yeng will comprise three depots and 51 stations on an 80km route. The entire route will extend from Kopanong in Soshanguve, via Rainbow Junction and the central business district (CBD), to Menlyn, with a branch to Hatfield, ending in Mamelodi. The A Re Yeng system will be completed and become operational in phases, which should all be completed by June 2018.
Line 2A, which forms part of A Re Yeng’s inception phase, is approximately 7km long and runs from the Pretoria CBD eastward to Hatfield via Sunnyside, connecting to the Gautrain station in Hatfield. The route will have seven stations: two in the CBD, three in Sunnyside, one at Loftus Stadium and one in Hatfield.
The construction of these seven stations commenced in February 2014 and is almost complete. The A Re Yeng system will use cutting edge technology and will rely heavily on an intelligent transport system (an industry term for “advanced applications which, without embodying intelligence as such, aim to provide innovative services relating to different modes of transport and traffic management and enable various users to be better informed and make safer, more co-ordinated, and ‘smarter’ use of transport networks”, according to Wikipedia).
Construction of the inception route’s busways between Hatfield and the CBD is 98% complete. The project also includes aesthetic upgrades to the surrounding areas, including beautification of the sidewalks and medians through landscaping, laying down additional grass and the planting of trees.
In terms of bus technology, the project uses rigid 12m-long Volvo buses, the first 30 of which have come off the production line. These buses are equipped with clean-burning diesel-powered Euro V engines and boast state-of-the-art technology. Cabling looms have been installed on all 30 buses, including antenna cabling for free commuter WiFi access.
Training has also been completed by 48 trainee drivers who will operate buses during the first phase of the project. These drivers were sourced from the affected taxi operators. The stations’ facilities include a host of security cameras and will provide “real time” passenger information to commuters.
Operationalisation of the project was initially earmarked for mid-2014. Delays experienced due to heavy rains, the strike in the engineering sector, as well as objections received during stakeholder engagement have had an impact on the project. The project’s construction has also impacted traffic congestion in the inner city as well as to the north of the city during peak hours.
Construction on the second alignment of the A Re Yeng service, Line 1A, is expected to be operational from August 2015 and is progressing well. This line will link Pretoria Station and Wonderboom Station. Line 1A will have three stations in the inner city and two in the north of Tshwane, in Capital Park and Mayville.
Carly Maeko is head of communication, marketing and events at the City of Tshwane