The City of Tshwane has started a public consultation process to conclude a new contract with Tshwane Rapid Transit (Pty) Ltd enabling it to operate its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), also known as A Re Yeng system.
If authorised, the contract will be implemented for a period of 12 years and meet the needs of ratepayers and public transport users in a sustainable and affordable manner.
Both the City and Tshwane Rapid Transit first entered into a negotiated contract in November 2014 during the inception phase of the BRT in Tshwane.
City’s Roads and Transport MMC Katlego Mathebe said the negotiated contract was informed by Section 41 of the National Land Transport Act, which seeks to identify a specific group mandated for empowerment as part of transformation implementation in the public transport space.
The City partnered with the Bus Operating Company, which was established in 2012 under the Tshwane Rapid Transit name.
A council report compiled by Roads and Transport head Pheko Letlonkane said: “The ownership of the Bus Operating Company vests with the affected operators from routes serviced by the private buses and taxis, through shareholding equivalent to their market share.”
In 2013, the city signed an agreement with representatives of the Greater Tshwane Taxi Council and the Transport Operators Peace Initiators Conglomerate Associations for the implementation of its BRT.
The City plans to roll out both Denneboom-Ikageng and Atteridgeville lines, as part of the additional BTR lines, in the duration of the imminent 12-year negotiated contract.
The plan also includes steps to operationalise Line 1A Wonderboom to CBD, Line 2A CBD to Hatfield, Line 2B: Hatfield to Menlyn and Line 2C: Menlyn to Denneboom.
Council Speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana has called on the public to submit comments on the proposed draft bus operating company agreement. The closing date for the submission of comments is May 17, 2024.
Letlonkane’s report noted that public transport plays a vital role in providing citizens and visitors with access to economic, social, health and education opportunities.
“The City developed A Re Yeng as an integrated transport system designed to meet the needs of ratepayers and public transport users in a sustainable and affordable manner,” said the report.
The A Re Yeng system will develop in several phases over a period of potentially up to 20 years to provide an extensive high-quality transportation network.
Mathebe said: “At the inception of the BRT there was an intention to extend it to Soshanguve but due to the conversation between the City and the national department of transport that had to be aborted.
“There are, however, plans to take this line as far as Kopanong, which is a Soshanguve area.”
Pretoria News
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za