Gautrain operator signs big feeder-route bus contract

Gautrain operator signs big feeder-route bus contract - from Engineering News

By: Irma Venter

16th July 2009

Bombela, the company building the Gautrain rapid-rail link, and the company which will operate it for 15 years, has signed a deal with Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) for the supply of 125 buses which will service the project’s feeder and distribution routes.

The luxury buses, all with Euro III engines, will be used to ferry commuters to and from the Gautrain stations, up to a radius of 15 km, says Bombela Concession Company CEO Jerome Govender.

“The intention is, if the local councils agree, to have bus stops roughly every 500 m along the route.”

Of the 125 buses, 118 will be 35-seater to 42-seater buses, of which 59 will be 35-seater buses with wheelchair access, and the remaining 59, standard 42-seater buses. All these buses will offer room for 17 standing passengers, explains Govender. The last seven buses rounding off the 125-strong fleet will be articulated buses, offering standing room, 46 seats and wheelchair access.

“These articulated buses will be used on what we anticipate will be high-volume routes in the Pretoria central business district,” says Govender.

“The general principle is that the Gautrain-branded buses must offer the same level of comfort and luxury – such as air conditioning – as the Gautrain,” he adds.

Govender says MBSA will supply the bus chassis from the company’s East London plant, with the bus bodies (shell and interior) then provided by Busmark 2000/Caio, located in Randfontein.

“All the buses will be locally assembled, so they will feature a strong local component,” notes Govender.

The bus depot will be located next to the train depot, in Midrand, with the bus operations centre next door.

Passengers will pay for the bus and train trips making use of a smart card. They will be able to load different values onto this card for various travel products.

The Gautrain bus system will be operated by a subcontractor to the Bombela Concession Company. This subcontractor is led by Unitrans, with SPG, a 25% empowerment shareholder in Bombela, also owning a portion of the company. The South African National Taxi Council forms parts of SPG. Govender says this means the bus system has participation from the taxi industry.

However, he adds that the Gautrain bus system is a dedicated system designed around the rail network, emphasising that it does not compete with the taxi operators, as has been the perception around the proposed bus rapid- transit systems to be rolled out in several big South African cities in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

MBSA will deliver the first buses by the end of January next year, for the purpose of training drivers, of which there will about 250 in total.

The first phase of the Gautrain, stretching from OR Tambo International Airport to Sandton, is to be operational in 2010, with the Johannesburg–Pretoria link to be completed in 2011.