As the Harambee Rapid Bus Transport System (BRT) celebrates its first year, an extension to its services to OR Tambo International Airport will be introduced.
With the celebration of this milestone on Wednesday last week, executive mayor Clr Mzwandile Masina said: “Today we are not here to only celebrate the first year of service delivery but to also announce the extension of the Harambee service.
“The extension of the services is a practical example of how the City of Ekurhuleni is contributing to the transformation and modernisation of the public transport system within the City.
“The City has invested just over R2-billion in the project so far and even though we acknowledge delays, we appreciate the progress made and recovery plans adopted,” Masina said.
The extension of services include:
1. Ten new Harambee buses will be added to the current operational fleet in November. An additional 22 new Harambee buses will be added to the operational fleet from mid-January 2019. All buses will be universally accessible and will cater to passengers with special needs.
2. During November, the current service will be extended by the addition of a complementary route that will operate from the terminus at Tembisa Hospital with curbside stops all the way to OR Tambo International Airport.
The route will consist of 28km in one direction and a 56km round trip. Services will commence at 3.45am with a bus leaving Tembisa Hospital to the airport. There will be no services over weekends and public holidays and a R13 flat fare will be charged.
3. A cashless Harambee Europay Mastercard and Visa (EMV) card will be introduced as a reloadable bus ticket. The service will be piloted in November, thereafter commuters will be given a period to migrate from the current fare collection system.
4. Seven new Harambee ticket sales points will now be available at Tembisa Hospital, Rabasotho Hall, Kempton Park Civic Centre, OR Tambo Airport, corner of Andrew Mapetho Drive and Dan Nkabande Drive and two branded Harambee mobile kiosks will move around the City.
The routes the buses will take from Tembisa to OR Tambo International Airport are:
Tembisa Hospital (Flint Mazibuko Street), Rev RTJ Namane Drive, Brian Mazibuko Drive, Andrew Mapheto Drive, Zuurfontein Road, CR Swart Drive, Monument Road, Voortrekker Road, Cargo Service Road, Airport Road (R21), arrivals platform and the Boksburg south exit.
The buses will follow the same route back to Tembisa.
The first bus will leave Tembisa at 3.45am to the airport and the last bus will leave the airport at 10.15pm to Tembisa.
The buses will operate at 20-minute service intervals during peak hours (morning peak 5.45am to 8.05am and afternoon peak 3pm to 6pm).
The buses will operate at 30-minute intervals during off-peak hours.
Passengers will be able to view the schedule for the buses at the various bus stops on the poles, at ticket selling points and kiosks, inside the Harambee buses and on the Harambee website.
