Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa, with over 3 million residents in the city proper and 7 million in the greater metropolitan area. It is also one of the richest cities in all of southern Africa. This wealth, however, was sharply divided during the apartheid years between the white population that lived in the Northern suburbs, and the black and colored populations that lived mostly in far flung townships like Soweto (South West Township). Similarly, car ownership was concentrated among the white population. With the end of apartheid, however, owning a car became an important status symbol for the emerging black and colored middle class. Still, today 63% of residents do not own a car, and until recently these people relied mostly on minibus taxis to get around the city. These minibuses were the only spaces where black entrepreneurship was permitted during apartheid and the industry became a source of both economic development and pride. While this legacy remains, the minibuses themselves added to traffic congestion and chaos on the city streets. The minibuses would not depart until full, so passengers could never be sure how long a trip would take. Trips beyond the central business district usually required at least two fare payments. And to make matters worse, driver associations fought (literally) to protect individual routes, as these organizations declared war on one another, resulting driver and passenger deaths.

For the City of Johannesburg, Rea Vaya, a new Bus Rapid Transit system presented an opportunity to move its citizens more safely and reliably. They system was a chance to formalize the minibus operators into the new operators of the BRT system, sustaining (and in some cases improving) their ability to earn a living, while breaking the mafia-esque stranglehold on public transport in the city. Construction of the BRT improves travel between the townships and downtown. The City also used the construction as a time to improve streetscapes, build sidewalks and install crosswalks all along the corridor and improve security in downtown Johannesburg. Rea Yaya is central to the City’s plan to revitalize the city center and create safe public spaces where all of its residents can mingle.

As of this writing (updated July 2011) there are 33 Rea Vaya stations on the 25.5km route, which uses large articulated buses that hold 112 passengers. The system also includes a complimentary route and several feeder routes. As of 2011 there were 28,000 daily passengers using the system. The system uses newer, cleaner buses (Euro IV) and the city estimates that the system will help reduce1.6 million tonnes of CO2e by 2020.

For more information see:
http://www.itdp.org/documents/st_magazine/ST21_Winter09.pdf (p. 16-18)
http://www.reavaya.org.za/