A new dedicated-lane bus rapid transit system has begun operations in Johannesburg, South Africa. The system is part of a nationwide plan to update public transit facilities as the country prepares to host the 2010 World Cup next June.
The system connects downtown Johannesburg with Soweto, the township on the outskirts of town set up during apartheid to contain black South Africans. The new BRT system expands transit in the city, which had previously consisted mainly of minibuses and taxis.
"Shiny new red and blue buses will now compete with dilapidated mini-buses and ageing trains that currently provide the backbone of South Africa's limping public transportation.
Under apartheid, the government intentionally created non-white neighbourhoods far from city centres to make it difficult for people of different races to mix.
Now transportation is a daily struggle for millions of commuters, and one of the main issues the government is trying to resolve ahead of the 2010 football World Cup."
Thanks to World Cup Planning
FULL STORY: New SAfrica bus system struggles with demand on its first day
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