The newly-launched electric buses will run along with Metrobuses and Rea Vaya BRT Phase 1C(a) routes for the next 30 to 60 days.
Rush hour traffic on Von Wiellig Street and Commissioner Street in Johannesburg. Photo: iStock
The City of Johannesburg has launched an Electric Bus Trial Programme on Metrobus and Rea Vaya BRT Phase 1C(a) routes.
MMC for Transport Kenny Kunene said that this initiative forms part of the City’s commitment to modernising public transport, improving operational efficiency, and advancing Joburg’s Green Transport and Climate Action agenda.
E-Bus trial programme
The trial aims to evaluate electric bus technologies and configurations under real-world operating conditions in Johannesburg.
The MMC collaborated with U40 Cities and several leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to launch the Electric Bus Technology.
This includes battery-electric bus technology, intelligent transport systems (ITS), real-time passenger information, driver monitoring, and AI-based safety systems.
The objective of the trial
The trial will also observe operational efficiency, energy consumption, Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), Coefficient of Friction (COF), fleet availability, life-cycle costing, energy storage, and battery maintenance.
It will also take passenger experience into consideration, including accessibility, comfort, safety, and reduced emissions and noise pollution.
The trial buses are set to be deployed along Metrobuses’ high-demand corridors, including routes in Soweto, Sandton, the CBD, and Roodepoort.
Operating Routes
The Electric buses will operate alongside the existing fleet to ensure no disruption to commuters, as well as along the Rea Vaya BRT Phase 1C(a) route, which is a new route that aims to offer safe, affordable and reliable transport to residents of Berea, Yeoville, Orange Groove, Cheldondale, Norwood, Balfour Park, Bramley, Wynberg, Alexandra, Marlboro, Athol, Sandton, Sandown, Longmeadow, and Greenstone.
Kunene asserted that all buses will be fully integrated into Metrobus’s Fleet Management System (FMS), Control Centre and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system for independent performance verification as well as integration into the full operations of Rea Vaya Phase 1C (a).
The e-bus trial will be active for 30 to 60 days between September and October 2026, and its performance data will be independently verified by the City’s Performance Management Init (PMU) against approved Technical Information Definitions (TIDs).
‘Strategic Intervention’
Once the trial has concluded, if successful, it will continue to transport commuters along the Metrobus and Rea Vaya BRT route system.
“This pilot is a strategic intervention to ensure that future fleet recapitalisation decisions are evidence-based, not speculative. Johannesburg cannot continue to buy buses the old way,” Kunene noted.
“We must test, measure, and prove what works best for our city’s route systems, our passengers, sustainability, climate and environmentally friendly mobility”, said Kunene.
Opportunities
He emphasised that the residents of Joburg deserve a reliable, safe, affordable, and green public transport system.
“This trial brings us closer to that reality while supporting local job creation and skills transfer,” Kunene added.
The executive director of the Department of Transport, Luthando Maboza, said that this initiative is a critical step in implementing the City’s strategic integrated transport plan, ensuring that every rand invested in public transport delivers measurable value for our commuters.
‘A living lab on our streets’
“By partnering with Metrobus as our municipal operator and with global OEMs, we are creating a living laboratory on our own streets
“Electric buses are the future of the City’s eco-mobility,” Maboza said.
