The long-awaited Tshwane Rapid Transit (TRT), also known as A Re Yeng, officially went online today in the city centre and Hatfield.

While the construction of bus stops and dedicated lanes in some areas is still in progress, the bus service will be rolled out in phases.

The first phase of the TRT project consists of line 1 which connects Mabopane and Soshanguve with the inner city via the R80 Freeway and DF Malan Drive, and line 2 which connects the inner city with Mamelodi via Walker Street, University Road, Lynnwood Road, Atterbury Road and Route K69.

Phase 1 consists of 68 kilometres of dedicated median bus lanes, 52 stations, three depots and four terminuses. The second route will travel from Denneboom, in Mamelodi through the key nodes of Menlyn, Hatfield, Lynnwood and Sunnyside to the CBD.

The system stretches to include outlying areas such as Soshanguve, Mabopane and Atteridgeville.

The buses will operate seven days a week from 6am until 8:25pm from Monday to Friday, with trunk services every seven minutes in peak periods and every ten minutes in off-peak periods.

On Saturdays, A Re Yeng will operate from 6am until 11:40pm, with ten-minute breaks between services during peak hours and 20-minute breaks during off-peak hours. The Sunday services will operate from 6am to 8am with 30-minute intervals.

The City of Tshwane started the construction of South Africa’s latest bus TRT system in Arcadia, Hatfield, in July 2012.

The R2.6 billion TRT system, which forms part of the city’s revitalisation project, is part of a global BRT concept, with more than 47 systems operating worldwide.

Once completed, the TRT system will consist of a total of 80 kilometres of bus lines, 62 stations and will run from Mabopane through Pretoria CBD, past Menlyn and on to Mamelodi.

The system will consist of about 340 buses, some of which will be powered by gas.

New buses, new bus drivers

Earlier this week Tshwane Executive Mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa awarded certificates to 43 bus drivers, most of which were former taxi drivers, after successfully completing a bus driver course to familiarise themselves with the new buses.

As part of their training, the new bus drivers were taught customer care, dealing with challenging situations, dealing with internal customers, preparing for performance, knowing and understanding customers and building confidence to serve, among other things.

Mayor Ramokgopa said the training was intended to produce bus driver conductors of a high calibre and standard.

“All learners were found competent in the customer care module. Certain learners will make excellent customer care officials should they be exposed to such environments,” he said.

Mayor Ramokgopa said the practical driving part revealed the learners were competent.

He said the city will continue to evaluate and monitor the drivers’ performance going forward.

“It changed the mind-set and attitude of the drivers. During training, drivers’ individual strength were highlighted which empowered all of them to do better,” he said.