03-06-2014: New Routes for Metrobus and announcement of Stated Preference Survey
Metrobus or the Johannesburg Metropolitan Bus Service has had a long history of providing public transport in the City of Johannesburg. It is the second largest municipal bus operator in South Africa and has transported up to 90 000 passengers daily.
As part of the phased development of the City's Integrated Transport Plan, the City adopted the Strategic Integrated Transport Plan Framework (SITPF) in 2013.
The SITPF identifies Metrobus as a primary operator for conventional bus services that would be used on medium-demand public transport routes and to extend service to new areas of captive car users in the South, South-East, North and North-West of the City, precursors to Rea Vaya BRT in the long term and increasingly the conventional bus network which will be integrated as feeders into the Rea Vaya system.
In 2013, the Mayoral Committee agreed on a turnaround plan for Metrobus which involves:
Reviewing the routes that Metrobus services;
Reviewing the way Metrobus is managed by the City to make sure that services are more reliable;
Introducing new green fuel buses and
Introducing a new fare collection system which will use smartcard.
The City of Joburg's Transport Department is responsible for the review of routes and today we are pleased to announce that the City is ready to consult stakeholders and members of the public about the new proposed routes in the "Metrobus Operational Plan".
The plan aims to ensure that Metrobus continues to serve existing passengers as well as grow patronage over time. The proposed routes have been aligned to integrate with other modes such as Rea Vaya, Gautrain and Metrorail and covers areas of high private car use linking residential areas to economic nodes.
"The City is excited about this development as the new services will have improved frequencies, will be reliable and operate during off peak period" said MMC Walters, MMC for Transport.
"We would like to encourage the public to engage with the routes it has proposed and give feedback to the City in order to ensure that the service will respond to their needs," she concluded.
Three kinds of services are proposed. "Main" or M services which will be mostly operated by double decker buses, "Secondary" or S services which will be serviced by standard buses focusing on routes that we want either to grow or reduce over time and "Feeder" or F services which will be operated by either Metrobus or minibus taxis. The services are expected to be implemented in phases from July 2015 after a more detailed implementation plan is developed which will take into consideration the feedback received from the public, the arrival of new buses, the roll out of Rea Vaya Phase 1C and negotiations with the minibus taxi industry and small bus operators.
Comments should be made within 60 days until 14 July 2014 and can be submitted in to the Executive Director: Transport, P O Box 31923, Braamfontein, 2000 or to email address MichelayV@joburg.org.za
A copy of the draft Metrobus Operational Plan can be downloaded from www.reavaya.org.za, www.mbus.co.za and copies are also available at Regional Offices.
ENDS
STATED PREFERENCE SURVEY
The City of Johannesburg would also like to take this opportunity to inform the residents about a Stated Preference Survey which will be conducted by visiting 1200 homes to ask household members about travel choices.
This information will be used as valuable input into the next phase of planning for the City's integrated transport network.
"We will be in various regions from 9 June to 14 July and ask residents to please give their input if approached by the researchers," says Christine Walters, MMC for Transport for the City of Joburg.
Researchers will be represented by the Consulta research company, wearing caps with Consulta logo (see below), have official name badges with their photos attached to verify and will have a letter from the City confirming the survey. If any resident feels unsure about letting the researcher into their house, they should contact Philisiwe Mbambo on 011 870 4505/082 301 6826 or Thabo Jangu on 011 870 4546/079 492 7846.
For press enquiries, please contact Nthatisi Modingoane on 011 407 7354 or Daisy Dwango on 011 870 4570.
