Pretoria - Government says a key benefit of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was improvements made to the country's public transport system which will benefit South Africans for years to come.
Speaking on Wednesday, Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele alluded as an example to the 700 busses bought and used during the tournament, which would now be used to boost the ageing Autopax Bus Company fleet owned and operated by Prasa.
"We are going to use these buses to recapitalise the intercity bus transport so that our people can move freely from one city to the next," the minister said.
The tournament has brought South Africa's transport system into the 21st century with new infrastructure being put in place and existing ones upgraded for the tournament.
As part of preparations for the World Cup, government upgraded its road and rail infrastructure, airports and introduced new systems such as the Bus Rapid Transit system, known in Johannesburg as Rea Vaya.
The Gautrain, which is seen as a catalyst for economic development in South Africa, had finally moved out of testing and into a fully-fledged operation.
Ndebele indicated that Gauteng's Freeway Improvement Project will also resume its operations.
The freeway improvement project was put on hold to allow easy traffic flow during the World Cup. According to the ministry the bulk of the work has been done and the project will be completed by the end of this year.
The ministry has urged South Africans to continue using public transport after the World Cup.
"The Transport Department once again calls on South African to use public transport and the wonderful infrastructure that has been put in place. The lessons learned from the World Cup will assist us as we move forward."
