Safety first

South Africa desperately needs more reliable, affordable and convenient public transport – but safety plays a huge role as well … Rea Vaya, Johannesburg’s bus rapid transit system, has taken this to heart and moved a bus stop on the Main Reef Road route to a safer location, which hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Thank you, thank you and thank you again for the relocation of the bus stop on Main Reef Road (F7 route).” These words were sent to Rea Vaya by commuter Ronel Uys. “From Friday, February 14, we were able to use the bus service safely and without stress. You would have been amazed at the smiles on people’s faces as they realised that the stop had been moved to a safer place,” she adds.

But Uys isn’t alone as other commuters are expressing their satisfaction with the service’s safety … Tshepo Molangeni, a 20-year-old student at the University of Johannesburg says: “The fact that there are Rea Vaya bus stations right outside campus makes me feel a lot safer because I don’t have to walk as far as I used to.”

Commuter Gayroonisha Mohamed adds her thanks as her forgotten belongings were returned to her intact. “It’s really wonderful to know that the Rea Vaya staff are trustworthy and so helpful. They went out of their way to help me.”