“We Are Going”: Riding Johannesburg’s BRT to Social and Spatial Justice?

The legacy of apartheid and new forms of separation mean that Johannesburg remains spatially segregated, unconnected and consequently unjust. It was for these reasons that African National Congress (ANC) mayor Parks Tau introduced the ‘Corridors of Freedom’ (CoF) initiative in 2013. This aimed to create three development corridors, in which different areas of the city are connected by means of transport corridors which are themselves connected to intersections that will be transformed into areas for mixed-use development. The transport corridors consisting of the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system are aimed at reconnecting different parts of Johannesburg and to ease people’s access to jobs, facilities and recreational opportunities by means of an affordable, fast, safe and convenient transport system. However, due to a change in Johannesburg’s political administration in 2016, and opposing interests of different stakeholders such as the taxi industry, the future of the...Show moreThe legacy of apartheid and new forms of separation mean that Johannesburg remains spatially segregated, unconnected and consequently unjust. It was for these reasons that African National Congress (ANC) mayor Parks Tau introduced the ‘Corridors of Freedom’ (CoF) initiative in 2013. This aimed to create three development corridors, in which different areas of the city are connected by means of transport corridors which are themselves connected to intersections that will be transformed into areas for mixed-use development. The transport corridors consisting of the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system are aimed at reconnecting different parts of Johannesburg and to ease people’s access to jobs, facilities and recreational opportunities by means of an affordable, fast, safe and convenient transport system. However, due to a change in Johannesburg’s political administration in 2016, and opposing interests of different stakeholders such as the taxi industry, the future of the corridors seems to have become uncertain. Nevertheless, although slowed down, various parts of the Rea Vaya BRT system are still going to be constructed. This thesis contributes to the debate on the effects of transport development on people’s social and spatial justice. It examines in what ways the policies and practices of the BRT impact commuters in terms of social and spatial justice by comparing the objectives of the City with the experiences of commuters. I gained insights into their practices by means of interviewing them while riding on the BRT with them. The thesis argues that while the policies intend to enhance the social and spatial justice within the city, in practice, although people are generally positive about the BRT, there are practical issues that prevent people from making full use of the city.Show less

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“We Are Going”: Riding Johannesburg’s BRT to Social and Spatial Justice?