Train causes race upset

IT was a rush against the clock when City councillors, staff members and celebrities raced around the city using public transport, in an adrenalin-driven adventure called Let’s Race Across Joburg.

Heading for the train stationHeading for the train stationThe race, held on Friday, 7 October, was a Transport Month activity. The theme for the month this year is Connecting People and Places. In line with the theme, Rehana Moosajee, the head of transport in the City, lead a team of adventures who were keen to connect with places in Joburg using various modes of public transport.

An eagerness to travel in minibus taxis, buses and trains kept the participants excited and looking forward to the daylong race.

For many of them, travelling in public transport was a whole new experience. Struggling to find their way around the city, they took advantage of social networks such Twitter and Facebook to ask for directions and advice from friends.

The race started in five areas: Orange Farm, Poortjie, Ennerdale, Thembelihle and Lakeside. The final destination was the Theatre on The Track at Kyalami race track – and the teams had to arrive on or before 12 noon. The trick was finding the quickest route to the destination.

Commuter
“The adventure is really about getting first-hand experience of the challenges faced by commuters daily. This is not an attempt to say how great public transport is,” said Moosajee. “This public transport adventure is really about getting those of us who are accustomed to being in private cars to interface with the reality that millions of Joburg residents interface with on a daily basis.”

Rehana Moosajee, the head of transport in the City, leads a team of adventuresRehana Moosajee, the head of transport in the City, leads a team of adventuresTeams were made up of five participants each. Moosajee’s team started the race in Poortjie, some 100 kilometres south of the city centre. From here, they travelled by taxi to Lenasia, just a stone’s throw away. Once they got to Lenasia, they rushed to the subway, hoping to catch the 8.30am train to Joburg.

Alas, it wasn’t to be; the trains arrived way behind schedule. After a long wait, once the train finally arrived, to the disappointment of the team and many other commuters on their way to work and school, they could not board as the train was packed.

Standing nearby was an equally frustrated commuter running late for a job interview. She complained to Moosajee, as one passenger to another, without realising to whom she was talking. She had spent her last R10 on the ticket and had no extra cash to pay for the taxi fare to Joburg.

For Moosajee, winning the race was no longer a priority; she gave the commuter money for taxi fare to Joburg and assured her that all her concerns would be addressed. Appalled by the inconvenience caused by the late train, Moosajee and her team quickly went to the taxi rank, opposite the subway, to catch the next taxi to Joburg.

Taxi rank
In the city, they were dropped off at the Bree Street Taxi Rank to catch the 10.30am Rea Vaya bus to Noord Street Taxi Rank. With time no longer on their side, Moosajee and the team quickly got on to a taxi to Kyalami from Noord – but they were the last of the five teams to arrive, getting there just after noon.

Gearing up to board a MetrobusGearing up to board a MetrobusGiving her feedback, Moosajee admitted that rail transport was not a competency of Joburg, but she vowed to engage transport stakeholders in a bid to ensure that rail transport became a more efficient and reliable mode of transport.

“The concern really is around poor management. We going to talk to everyone involved to ensure that we transform rail transport,” she said.

Moosajee said the R20-billion injection announced by the national Ministry of Transport into rail transport would play a vital role in the redemption of rail transport.

Also on the list of concerns was the refurbishment of infrastructure at taxi ranks. “We need to have clean ablution facilities and organised taxi ranks that are inviting, so that we can attract people to public transport.”

Unroadworthy
Responding to unroadworthy taxis, Moosaje said there would be roadblocks across the city in preparation for the upcoming festive season, which is known for its high accident rate. Concluding the day’s activities, new Metrobuses fitted with facilities for disabled commuters – including those in wheelchairs – to allow hassle-free access, were launched.

Open deck buses that will be used for private hire were also unveiled. “So today was a great excitement for many of our celebrity guests. They got the sense that Joburg actually extends that far south and it was actually an eye opener.”

Indeed an eye opener it was for most of the participants. Television actress Hlubi Mboya said: “I have all my life lived in Joburg, but I was a never aware of places such as Poortjie. It was quite an amazing experience for me. I have also not been in the inner city for a while.”

Another participant, the poet Lebo Mashile, said the experience reminded her of the days when she used public transport. “It was an eye opener experience, but reality to many people,” said Mashile.

She was moved by the hardships and challenges faced by residents in daily commuting. Among other celebrities who took part was the former Bafana Bafana midfielder, Doctor Khumalo.