Whose lane is it anyway?
AUCKLAND PARK - Kingsway Road motorists may have to think twice before they use the Rea Vaya bus lanes to beat traffic.
Phase 1B of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system may be a viable solution for Rea Vaya commuters, but for motorists it’s a nightmare.
It seems some Kingsway Road users are confused by the yellow and red lines that demarcate the Rea Vaya bus lanes. Since its inception, Kingsway Road has been characterised by endless queues of traffic in peak hour and ages waiting for the traffic lights to turn green.
As a result, taxi drivers – and some motorists – have resorted to making use of the traffic-free Rea Vaya bus lanes to cheat their way through.
In an email to Northcliff Melville Times, Auckland Park resident Dorothea Jackson expressed her concern about the new dynamics of Kingsway Road.
“Taxis and other impatient drivers think nothing of using the Rea Vaya lanes, ignoring the bus lane traffic lights and jumping ahead of traffic at intersections, endangering law-abiding drivers and pedestrians,” Jackson said.
Director of marketing and communications for Rea Vaya, Benny Makgoga said the lanes are strictly for Rea Vaya buses and no other bus or vehicle.
“At the moment we are considering putting cameras on the road to help us arrest the people who use the lanes illegally,” Makgoga said.
“We want to have our own people who are policing the routes, and we are currently finalising the documents and [acquiring] technical resources we need to support our manpower.”
The dedicated Rea Vaya bus lanes are arranged to work at a certain frequency and according to Makgoga the other vehicles – including other service buses – interfere with that frequency when they make use of the lane.
Rea Vaya’s deputy director of Safety and Security Sipho Masango said their first priority is to ensure a police presence.
“We will partner with Metro police who will deal with the policing and law enforcement on our routes during the times and days our buses are operating,” Masango said.
And some good new for other road users – there are plans to synchronise the traffic lights for better traffic flow, he said.
So there you have it, its Rea Vaya’s lane by the way.
Details: www.reavaya.org.za
