Question NW614 to the Minister of Transport

Reply:

(a) What are the reasons that his department has not provided bus stations in townships to serve as shelters for commuters of the bus rapid transit Go George similar to those in suburban areas?

The GO GEORGE public transport service does not differentiate between suburban and township areas, but rather between urban, peri-urban and rural contexts. In terms of this context, all urban areas in the Municipal area are accommodated in the same manner, using a phased infrastructure approach in areas where the bus service is implemented. This phased infrastructure approach includes the provision of stops, followed by the addition of shelters and other infrastructure as the service settles and the chosen routing and user patterns stabilise adequately.

These shelters are provided based on a warrant system, which considers several aspects and provides a priority weighting of which stops require shelters as budget becomes available. This weighting includes elements such as the number of passengers using a specific stop, the number of intersecting bus routes at that stop, pedestrian safety and exposure to the elements. The warrant also provides an indication of the size of shelter required.

(b) Does his department have any plans to build such waiting shelters?

At this point in time, the service has not yet been implemented in Thembalethu (Township) but the routes covering Thembalethu are in the planning and design process. Bus stops are currently being planned along these routes and once the service is implemented, shelters will be placed at the stops in a phased manner, based on budget availability and the outcomes of the afore-mentioned warrant weighting system.