Mashaba’s Rea Vaya BRT Oversight Sheds Light on Joburg’s R16.8-Billion Public Transport Failure

Today, ActionSA Mayoral Candidate, Herman Mashaba, conducted an oversight of the City’s Rea Vaya BRT route from the Johannesburg CBD to Sandton. He was accompanied by ActionSA Councillors serving in the Transport Committee, which is led by the Whip, Lebo Mokoka.

The objective of the oversight was to establish the frequency and promptness of buses, assess uptake of commuters in comparison to the bus capacity, and establish its affordability for commuters who are already under financial strain.

The commute from Library East Garden Station in the CBD to the Sandton Station points to systemic failures of Rea Vaya BRT. Busses are running empty on various routes, the system for commuters to purchase cards and load funds was not working, and there’s no provision for disabled persons to use busses. Our commute was delayed by more than an hour, due to delays with purchasing cards. Eventually, we were directed to Rissik Street Station in order to purchase cards and load funds.

This highlights the multitude of inefficiencies that disadvantage and frustrate residents. As a result, residents opt for costly taxi transportation, which places them under further financial strain. The ANC-led coalition, under the leadership of PA MMC of Transport, Kenny Kunene, has failed spectacularly with service delivery.

What is apparent, is that the City of Joburg, through the Johannesburg Development Agency, has failed to deliver an efficient and accessible public transport system. This is despite investing R16.8-billion on this infrastructure through grant funding from National Government. It is a clear example of what happens when taxpayers’ funds are mismanaged, and is tantamount to wasteful expenditure.

Providing public transport is critical to the livelihoods of residents, whose daily commute enables them to access opportunities for work and upward mobility. Without a Joburg that is working, the country will buckle under such pressures.

Now more than ever, residents are realising that ActionSA is the only viable alternative to arrest the decline of the city, and fix a broken Joburg that has long been neglected and forgotten by its supposed leaders.

ActionSA looks forward to residents giving the mayoral candidate the mandate to realising dignity for all for residents, no matter their postcode, through a decisive victory at the local government elections on the 4^thNovember 2026.

ActionSA Gauteng Powerhouse: Focused initially on Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane.