The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) is giving the Selby bus depot in the Johannesburg Inner City a face-lift, turning it into an ultramodern Rea Vaya garage to service the bus rapid transit system.
The refurbishment of the Selby depot, set for completion in June next year is undertaken in phases, including 1, 2B and 2C on behalf of the Transport Department, which runs the service with Piotrans, a private consortium.
The first phase, which has reached completion, entailed the construction of a new perimeter fence, bus parking platforms, the building of a site access road, main parking area, driveway upgrade and the construction of the main entrance into the depot, which lies along the intersection of Pat Mbatha and Ignatius Streets.
“This facility is a testament to the City’s medium-term focus of improving existing bulk infrastructure to support increased development, improve public environments and social facilities, as well as provide linkages to public transport facilities,” says the Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Transport, Nonhlanhla Makhuba.
Phase 2B of the project, comprising of the construction of a workshop, a refuelling garage and phase 2C, which includes the building of the administration office, is currently underway.
Once completed, the Selby depot, which was formerly used by Putco, will accommodate up to 270 buses and feature an administration office, maintenance workshop, washing and refuelling bays and an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) control centre. The administration block will be kitted with ablution facilities, a canteen, staff offices and employee and visitor parking.
“This centrally located depot will minimise dead mileage, as well as the time lost by buses in traffic congestion between depots and route starting points,” Makhuba says.
The depot will conduct major and minor maintenance, including the repair of in-service and out of service buses. Its environmentally friendly roof will allow direct sunlight into the building to reduce the need for artificial lighting. Water will be recycled for reuse in the buildings and the wash bay.
Makhuba says the project bodes well for local economic growth, job creation and skills development, with 30 percent of the contract value being awarded to SMMEs.
In 2013, the JDA developed Rea Vaya’s first depot in Meadowlands, Soweto. The Selby depot is being revamped to be on par with the one in Meadowlands, which is environmentally friendly and custom-made for Rea Vaya buses.
The Meadowlands depot’s environmentally friendly features include lights controlled by sensors, a robust, mild steel sheeting for the roof; cladding to help with climate control, and a noise-wall barrier enveloping the premises.
“Public transport and related infrastructure have been seen as an instrument for change, with initiatives encouraging transit services to function at an optimum level, and help contribute to reshaping urban form and catalyse further development in the Inner City and the municipality as a whole,” explains Reuben Masango, the MMC for Development Planning.
