A new bus layover for Joburg’s Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) service, being built along the Pat Mbatha Bus Way in Booysens, is almost over the final hurdle.
Aerial photo of the layover site in the early stages of developmentAerial photo showing the 2-hectare layover site off the Pat Mbatha Bus Way in the early stages of development. CLICK ON PHOTO TO VIEW LARGER VERSIONConstruction of the R16-million facility, overseen by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), began in November 2014, and according to JDA development manager Zwakele Magagula will be complete by the end September.
“It is great to anticipate the ultimate commencement of the full operation of the facility and the pressure it will ease from the existing layover parking facilities that are being used in various parts of the inner city,” Magagula said.
He added that the layover would begin operating at limited volumes while finishing touches were being made to the structure. “Temporary structures will be set up for use while the main buildings are being completed. New equipment is in the process of being moved onto the premises.”
The layover will enable Rea Vaya drivers servicing routes between Soweto and the CBD to rest, eat and relax between shifts, saving them from additional, “dead” driving to and from their depots or the existing, informal layovers in Ellis Park or Turffontein.
Magagula said the formalised environment at the Booysens layover would improve co-ordination, save fuel, and ease the pressure on both the fleet and its drivers.
The two-hectare facility will be able to accommodate up to 140 buses at any one time, and includes a dining room and ablution facilities for drivers, as well as guardrooms, administration offices and a dispatch area.