Praise has been heaped on Rea Vaya for its slick, efficient service in transporting over 300 000 football fans to and from stadiums on World Cup match days.

REA VAYA played a significant role in ensuring the success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches in Johannesburg, transporting over 300 000 fans to the stadiums over the month-long tournament.

The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system has received much praise from commuters and officials alike for the professional service it provided. Rea Vaya transported an average of 10 200 spectators to and from each game.

Organising Committee chief executive officer Danny Jordaan uses Rea Vaya

Ahead of hosting the international event, the government had identified public transport as the key legacy project of the World Cup. Given this, some R170-billion was invested in the transport system from 2005. Between 2006 and 2010, the government spent R600-billion on infrastructure development, upgrading roads and rail stations, building new rail stations and setting up the Gautrain.

In Joburg, the Rea Vaya BRT system was set up.

The transport focus for the World Cup was on public transport, supported by Park and Ride and Park and Walk facilities. "Public transport formed the backbone of transport plans for the [World Cup]," said Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele.

REA VAYA STATISTICS

A major player in Johannesburg, Rea Vaya organised a special service during the tournament, taking football fans to and from the Soccer City and Ellis Park stadiums on match days.

No doubt where the Rea Vaya bus is heading

According to statistics from the City, a total of 1 042 160 people attended the 15 matches held in Joburg; 479 517 of them took public transport. Of these, 307 030 boarded Rea Vaya buses. A total of 121 806 fans made use of the Rea Vaya station at the Westgate Transport Hub, with a further 106 600 spectators taking Rea Vaya buses from the Park and Ride set up at Constitution Hill in Braamfontein.

The transport department initially planned to transport some 20 000 spectators to the stadiums, but after totalling all bus users over the World Cup, Rea Vaya transported more than anticipated.

"From the middle of the tournament, we allowed 400 cars to park at Westgate and use Rea Vaya to the tournament," said Lisa Seftel, Joburg's executive director for transportation. "We also supported and encouraged passengers to use Metrorail."

Some 78 624 fans took buses running on the Trunk Route between Ellis Park Station and Soweto. And the journeys were quick – it took 12 minutes on a Rea Vaya bus to get from Constitutional Hill to Soccer City at Nasrec, and only six minutes from Westgate.

Clearing the stadiums generally took less than two hours. The average clearing time for Ellis Park was between 45 minutes and one hour and between one hour and one-and-a-half hours for Soccer City. On average, spectators waited between 17 and 27 minutes to board buses or taxis after the matches. Those who arrived first or last did not have to wait at all.

PRAISE FOR REA VAYA

"Never before have so many people who usually rely on cars used public transport, and in general they were very impressed," said the executive director of the City's 2010 Office, Sibongile Mazibuko.

Fans arriving at Soccer City via Rea Vaya

"Our challenge was for transport to be the 'invisible glue' which made the World Cup happen. And indeed it became so. Apart from a few glitches in the first few matches and an illegal work stoppage by some of the Rea Vaya drivers on the third match, the transport operations were incident-free."

Roger Layton, who used the bus services to the opening match, said: "It was very easy and only took 15 minutes to get there."

Isaiah Malatji first used Rea Vaya for the opening match at Soccer City between South Africa and Mexico. "It is really amazing and has done us proud," he said. "I've caught it to a few games now and in conversation with other commuters we can only sing its praises. I will definitely be using the buses regularly. Before this I relied on my car, but this will change for me after the World Cup.

Joburg’s portfolio head of transport, Rehana Moosajee, welcomes FIFA’s Jerome Valcke aboard Rea Vaya

"It is a great gift for our young nation, having first-class infrastructure, and it makes us proud to be from Johannesburg," he said.

The Organising Committee's chief executive officer, Danny Jordaan, was one of the many who used Rea Vaya buses to get to the stadium. He was among ordinary citizens and visitors; Miss World contestants; the FIFA general-secretary, Jerome Valcke; Rehana Moosajee, the City's portfolio head of transport; Mazibuko; and Seftel.

LOOKING FORWARD

The minister of transport has urged South Africans to continue to use public transport. "South Africa is well on its way to overhauling its public transport system, which many were initially reluctant to use in a country where the private vehicle is king."

"As we travel, we call on all South Africans to discover that golden thread of common decency which resides in all of us. Let us revive the spirit of ubuntu - that spirit of good, old, common respect and courtesy for fellow travellers," Ndebele said.

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• Westgate Station tops at transport hub
• Success of the first weekend
• A warm Rea Vaya welcome for fans
• Illegal work stoppage ends