Johannesburg - With only ten days left to the FIFA Confederations Cup, the City of Joburg is ready to provide efficient transport services to soccer fans attending the games at Ellis Park Stadium.
"I am pleased to announce that we will be providing a dedicated public transport service to Ellis Park starting on 14 June," said city's member of the mayoral committee (MMC) responsible for transport Rehana Moosajee.
"This service, called iTransie 2 Ellispark!, will demonstrate the city's ability to provide effective transport for world-class events and prove its readiness for the 2010 Soccer World Cup," she said.
The iTransie 2 Ellispark! service for the Confederations Cup, which will run in partnership with the taxi industry, aims to ensure that all spectators can travel safely to the Confederations Cup games at Ellis Park.
"We have planned iTransie 2 Ellispark! to be simple, easy and safe. Park-and-rides will be guarded and well sign posted.
"The system is also colour-coded to ensure that spectators return on the correct shuttle after each game," she said.
Ms Moosajee appealed to ticket holders of the Confederations Cup to resist from trying to use their private vehicles and attempting to find parking in the vicinity of Ellis Park, but rather use the convenience of public transport.
Park and rides will also take place at the Coca-Cola Dome, Wits West Campus, Bezuidenhout Valley Park and Nasrec Expo Centre four hours prior and after every game with bus or taxi shuttles operating every 15 minutes.
The iTransie 2 Ellispark! will complement similar services being organised by the Gauteng Provincial Government, under the banner of Gauride for Gauteng residents to travel to Rustenburg, Bloemfontein as well as in other Gauteng municipalities.
She further announced that phase 1 of the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit system, running from Regina Mundi in Soweto to Ellis Park, has been postponed to the start at the end of August.
"In respect of Rea Vaya, I would like to inform the public that the Mayoral Committee is satisfied that the city is on track to launch Rea Vaya at the end of August.
"Presently, the majority of dedicated lanes are complete, stations are close to completion and road markings and signs are being erected," she said.
Ms Moosajee said the lanes include approximately 20kms of dedicated BRT system lanes between Regina Mundi and Ellis Park.
It also includes 11 stations and three more stations at 90 percent completion that were due to be used for the BRT system for the Confederations Cup.
She also renewed the city's call to the taxi operators to join the negotiation process. "We have pledged to the Minister of Transport that our local negotiations will be within the framework agreed by national stakeholders.
"We remain steadfast in our commitment to empower the taxi industry and ensure that operators will be no worse off than when they were operating taxis," she said.
