05-10-2012: Organizer of First Bus Rapid Transit System in Africa Provides Keynote Address at American Public Transportation Annual Meeting
Many public transportation officials learn to coexist with private taxi systems, which can view public systems as an economic threat. But few face the
challenges laid out by Rehana Moosajee of Johannesburg, South Africa, who led the successful effort to build Africa’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
She gave the keynote address at the Oct. 2 General Session of the 2012 American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Annual Meeting in Seattle,
presented by APTA’s Business Members. Charles R. Wochele, chair, Business Member Board of Governors, presided at the session.
“We thank the Executive Mayor Councilor Mpho Parks Tau for his endorsement of Councilor Moosajee’s participation in our annual conference,” said APTA
President and CEO Michael Melaniphy. “Her speech both informed and inspired public transit officials who represented the many cities of North America. It
was particularly inspiring to learn about the important role that public transportation is playing in the transformation of Johannesburg as it confronts its
past and looks towards its future.”
Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo appointed Moosajee in 2006 and gave her responsibility for creating a public transit system from scratch for the city’s 2010
hosting of soccer’s World Cup. The initial BRT line opened on time and on budget, but only after extensive negotiations with the mini-bus operators who
carry 72 percent of the city’s public transportation passengers.
The Rea Vaja BRT line currently covers only 16 miles, although plans call for it to eventually run about 185 miles. It transports one million passengers a
month.
Moosajee said the mayor asked her: “How do we use the pressure that the eyes of the world will be upon us” to create a lasting legacy beyond “when the last
whistle is blown.”
With a metropolitan population of seven million, she said, Johannesburg is a city where “wealth resides amidst extreme poverty.” The city continues to
reflect its Apartheid past: under the old laws, black people were not allowed to ride city buses when commuting from black areas to white areas. Mahatma
Gandhi’s transformation as an equal-rights champion, she noted, began when he was thrown off such a bus.
Considered the third worst city in the world for commuting, she said, Johannesburg has a layout that forces many households to spend more than 10 percent of
their income on transportation. The city has lots of heavy rail, a legacy of its mining economy, but “very little investment in public transportation.”
The black population remains dependent on an extensive network of 10,000 legal black-owned mini-buses. Recognizing that the Rea Vaya bus line would directly
affect mini-bus revenues, Moosajee said one of her first requests when she took the job was to sit down with the three top mini-bus fleet operators. The
fierce business rivals refused to meet in the same room, so she had to meet with each one individually. “The historic response of the industry to anything
the government puts on the table is to resist,” she said.
Some government officials look down on the operators but, she said, they share the general population’s patriotic aspirations for South Africa. Given “a
little respect,” she found that they could become allies.
Beyond dealing with the mini-buses, Moosajee said Rea Vaya’s launch involved an extensive community outreach program. For example, a youth volunteer group
was so enthusiastic about the prospect of the new bus service that administrators decided to provide its members with special training to become “our
ambassadors of the system.” After that, they fanned out into communities to explain the upcoming line’s operation and benefits.
In another case, she said, “The architects had come with a vision for a station and we said no.” First, they were told, they needed to meet with members of
the community surrounding the proposed station. Too often, she said, “Communications is an afterthought: We’ll get the operations going and do the other on
the side.”
Councilor Moosejee, who was a guest of APTA at the conference, participated in the program on public transportation and mega-events such as the 2010 World
Cup games. She also participated in a session on the role of women in public transport in addition to her keynote address.
Issued by: American Public Transport Association
Contact: Mantill Williams
(202) 496-4869
mwilliams@apta.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
