Transport
With the emphasis on moving a large number of people around the city, from hotels and bed and breakfasts to the various stadiums, as well as to tourist attractions and shopping complexes, the City's focus is on upgrading its public transport system.
Key to this is the implementation of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, to be known as Rea Vaya. The plan is to provide a high-speed service on dedicated bus routes across Joburg, using a bus network of 18m articulated vehicles. A network of secondary routes will then be serviced by trains or taxis.
Rea Vaya will have a total of 94 kilometres of trunk corridors, encompassing a total routing length of about 148 kilometres.
Seven routes have been selected to give the customer maximum flexibility with a minimum of cumbersome transfers:
Nasrec-Newtown-Ellis Park;
Dobsonville-CBD-Troyeville;
Lenasia-Highgate-Sunninghill;
Randburg-CBD;
Alexandra-CBD-Regina Mundi;
Braamfontein-CBD; and the
CBD circle route.
In addition, currently under construction, the multi-billion rand Gautrain will ease traffic congestion along the major freeways linking Johannesburg with Pretoria in the north and OR Tambo International Airport in the east.
The Gautrain has five Johannesburg stations: Park Station; Rosebank; Sandton; Marlboro; and Midrand.
The City also intends to:
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Upgrade Nasrec public transport through extending the Golden Highway and building a pedestrian mall that connects Soccer City and the Expo Centre;
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Upgrade Ellis Park public transport, through major improvements in Saratoga, Charlton, Smit, Wolmarans, Bertrams, Bezuidenhout, Derby and Beit streets, including improved signage;
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Build pedestrian walkways, bridges between Doornfontein Station and Nugget Street and a parking garage on Johannesburg Stadium property;
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Upgrade the public transport facilities at Doornfontein Station and Ellis Park Station and provide a pedestrian bridge, subway, hawker facilities and a passenger information centre for the Doornfontein taxi and bus terminus;
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Introduce an Advanced Traffic Management System; and
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Upgrade metered taxis.
Information technology
The City plans to be a smart, digital, world-class African city by 2010. And its Joburg Broadband Network Project will help to get it there.
Under this project it will set up a telecommunications system in which a wide band of frequencies is able to transmit information. It will allow more information to be exchanged faster, and at a lower cost.
While broadband is mainly used for internet access, it can also be used to transmit television signals, be used by call centres, for telephone communications and in business.
Fibre optics will be installed and Joburg's wireless network will be expanded.
Green city
One of Joburg's eco-projects in preparation for the 2010 event is the cleaning of the Klip River, which runs through Soweto and the southern suburbs.
The catchment area is the Upper Klip River, running from north to south, and the Klipspruit tributary, running form the north-east to south-west.
The western tributary of the Klipspruit drains from the gold mining works, slimes dams and industrial sites along Main Reef Road, while to the east, a second tributary drains the industrial area and the western residential area of Roodepoort. The third arm of the Klipspruit originates in the western CBD.
Other tributaries are the Baileys Spruit and the Diepkloof Spruit, which flow westward into the Orlando Dam, joining the Klipspruit, which flows through Soweto to join the Klip River in the south.
Safety, security and emergency management The safety of residents and visitors is of primary importance to the City.
Seeing to the security of all are the officers of the Johannesburg metropolitan police. It has a number of units, ranging from motorised to the horse unit, from those on bicycles to foot patrols.
The department is on a recruitment drive, with plans to boost the number of its officers significantly in time for the football spectacular. It aims to recruit 500 new members a year, giving it 4 000 members by 2010.
In addition, the City is to install surveillance technology to ramp up the systems the metro police already have in place. Four dedicated courts will also be refurbished to enhance by-law enforcement.
A disaster management centre will be set up before the world cup, which will involve medical and emergency professionals as well as up to 2 200 trained volunteers.
Health services will also be upgraded to cope with the expected demand.
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