The Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Geoff Makhubo, has assured residents that the constructions of Rea Vaya Phase 1C (a) will be completed on time amid delay caused by the Covid-19 lockdown.
The mayor said this at the Watt Interchange during an oversight tour on Tuesday, 6 October 2020, as part of the transport month programme.
“I am pleased about the progress made so far. We are confident that by July 2021, this whole project would be completed. We have other stations that are 100% completed, which shows that the Johannesburg Development Agency together with constructors are hard at work,” said Mayor Makhubo.
The Watt Interchange forms part of the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system. Phase 1C includes the section eight trunk route from Sandton to Alexandra along Rivonia and Katherine Drives, and the section 15 trunk route from Parktown in Johannesburg to Alexandra along Louis Botha Avenue.
The R343 million project is part of the City’s plan for residents and students to live closer to public transport facilities to allow for easier and quicker access to the City.
Mayor Makhubo also urged residents not to vandalise infrastructures during protests.
“As the municipality we are doing our best to better the lives of residents but we are having problem of vandalism. This new stations belong residents of Joburg, it’s their responsibility to take care of them,” said Mayor Makhubo.
Other adjacent areas that will benefit from this projects includes Berea, Yeoville, Orange Groove, Norwood, Balfour Park, Bramley, Marlboro, Athol, Sandown, Longmeadow and Greenstone.
The new Rea Vaya stations are different from the previous ones as they are low-floor based, which makes it easy for people leaving with mobility disability to access buses and stations easier as opposed to the previously constructed high floor stations on phase 1A & 1B.
Cllr Makhubo was joined on the tour by the Member of Mayoral Committee for Transport, Cllr Nonhlanhla Makhuba, and Member of the Mayoral Committee for Development Planning, Cllr Lawrence Khoza.
Written by Takalani Sioga
