And it has turned into a cash cow for the City of Johannesburg. When the service was launched in August 2009, only 300000 people used the bus service to and from work. This has grown to more than a million.

City of Joburg communications director Gabu Tugwana said the system turns over more than R6-million a month in passenger fares.

And though taxi drivers staged violent protests when the service was launched, scared that it was going to take away their livelihood, these troubles seem to have been ironed out.

Sipho Masuku, of the Nanduwe Taxi Association, said he was among taxi operators who "feared" the introduction of Rea Vaya bus services in the beginning.

Masuku said though taxis are usually caught in traffic, the buses have their own dedicated lanes, getting passengers to their destinations faster.

This is one of the reasons that made Thapelo Tshabalala, 20, who travels on the bus from Thokoza Park to the Johannesburg Art Gallery, switch from taxis to the bus.

Instead of paying R17 for taxi fare, Tshabalala now pays R12 a trip.

Tugwana said the BRT system is operated by Piotrans, a company of former taxi owners who were affected by the introduction of the Rea Vaya services.

Piotrans took over BRT operations in February and it is contracted to run BRT for the next 12 years.

Tugwana said the next phase will include the routes that go past the University of Johannesburg, Empire Road, and Parktown, from where it is extended into the Joburg CBD via Harrison and Rissik Streets.

It will join the current route at Commissioner Street and Market Street, and is expected to be launched in April next year.

Source: ITSSA