South Africa Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Programme

operational but underperforming

A nationwide Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) public transport project in South Africa, including systems like Rea Vaya in Johannesburg, aimed at providing integrated public transport. Despite an investment of approximately R80 billion over two decades, the project has failed to attract significant commuter usage, with only about 152,000 passengers using BRT systems nationwide compared to nearly eight million taxi commuters. Rea Vaya operates 63 stations with over 200 buses but serves only 15,000 to 20,000 daily passengers. The project has faced criticism for poor planning, slow rollout of integrated transport systems, and concerns over corruption and inefficiency.