Mbalula inspects Rea Vaya compliance
MINISTER of Transport Fikile Mbalula paid a follow up visit to the Rea Vaya depot in Dobsonville, Soweto, yesterday to inspect compliance with Covid-19 regulations.
Mbalula expressed happiness with the measures that Rea Vaya had implemented to ensure social distancing is observed.
“We are happy that there is more compliance in regards to the buses. We will have a capacity of people seated but we will not have people standing inside the Rea Vaya buses. They have observed social distancing in the buses,” he said.
Mbalula visited the depot and the Thokoza Park station, a week ago after receiving complaints from citizens about the lack of compliance at the bus stations.
Mbalula said: “We have undertaken this mission today to follow up on our work that we started last week, to check on the readiness, but also to check on complaints in the City of Johannesburg.”
According to Mbalula, after his evaluation last week, the bus company management said they would address the concerns raised.
A Rea Vaya representative explained that the buses were disinfected in the morning and in the evening.
They are also washed twice a day, whereas before the pandemic, buses were washed three times a week.
“Every person who enters the bus is offered hand sanitiser and the bus carries about 30 people so that we can observe social distancing,” said the representative.
The minister stressed that with the easing of lockdown regulations to allow for economic activity, transport had to be safe.
“To get people to work, we must ensure that our transport is compliant,” said Mbalula.
Gauteng mayor, Geoff Makhubo, who was also a part of the two visits to Rea Vaya, said the city was also ensuring that Metrobus was safe.
“We adhered to your instructions for our buses, not only with Rea Vaya but with Metrobus as well,” said Makhubo.
Makhubo further thanked mayoral committee member for Transport, Nonhlanhla Makhubo, for making sure the buses complied.