Public Transport for 2010

Last Updated on Monday, 03 May 2010 17:09 Written by Helga McLeod Tuesday, 23 February 2010 09:08

2010 Soccer World Cup - 2010 in South African host cities

South Africa is in the process of improving its public transport infrastructure in the 2010 host cities with the inclusion of the (hopefully environmentally-neutral) Gautrain and the Bus Rapid Transit system (Rea Vaya).

Photography by Chris Kirchhoff. Source: Media Club South Africa

The Gautrain, in Gauteng, is 80 kilometers long mass rapid transit railway system, joining Pretoria with Johannesburg (in 40 minutes) and OR Tambo International Airport.

The 10 stations will be:
Johannesburg Park Station - (underground station)
Rosebank - (underground station)
Sandton - (underground station)
Marlboro - (station at grade)
Midrand - (station at grade)
Centurion - (station on structure)
Pretoria - (station at grade)
Hatfield - (station at grade)
Rhodesfield - (station on structure)
OR Tambo International Airport - (station on structure)

Other public transport options will include taxis and mini-taxis, busses, hotel transport and trains. NOTE: it is important to find out about appropriate transport for you and your travelling group beforehand.

Easy transport and access for other-abled and people with wheelchairs:

All areas of Cape Town Stadium are fully accessible to PwDs according to Disability Solutions Limited's Guy Davies.  Including the use of tactile signage and maps throughout the stadium at relevant levels and textured paving.   The Integrated Rapid Transport (IRT) system will also be fully accessible to all abled people.

The new IRT bus system has ensured easy access for wheelchairs and for people with other disabilities such as sight impairment.  It has level surfaces at all entrances and exits of each station and wide ramps allowing wheelchairs access and level boarding for access from trunk station platforms onto buses. All the feeder services are equipped with ramps for wheelchair access.

On the buses it selves, wheelchair spaces have been allocated where wheelchairs can be secured. “To help the visually impaired, there will be tactile paving on walkways leading to some main stations and on the stations themselves. There will also be special ‘induction loops’ at ticket offices to allow the hearing-impaired to communicate with ticket sellers. There will be paddle gates, instead of turnstiles, at station entrances,” Davies said too.

International guidelines have been followed where possible and the airport and Cape Town Station are also being similarly refurbished. 

Marketing and passenger services of transport, Mr Peter Moag, stated that buses on the shuttle routes to/from the airport and Cape Town Stadium will be wheelchair-friendly, as well as the Civic Centre bus station and the shuttle stations. On all match days the city will have a special needs transport hub at the Civic Centre between the Civic Centre bus station and Cape Town Station and exclusive plus free to disabled people.

Those with a match ticket and doctor's certificate confirming no mobility over 500m are advised to book a place on this shuttle.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites