RRT UPDATE

Rustenburg – At the end of 2017/18 financial year, the Rustenburg Local Municipality (RLM) has spent about R2.7 billion on upgrading old infrastructure, and on the construction of new public transport infrastructure in Rustenburg.

The infrastructure includes 20km of bi-directional BRT lanes, walkways and 17 sub-stations.
Aging roads and public transport infrastructure have been a major challenge for both the municipality and residents of Rustenburg for years.

Over 80% of Rustenburg residents rely on public transport for mobility and to access economic opportunities and social services. The Rustenburg Local Municipality is committed, through its Rustenburg Rapid Transport (RRT) project to improve roads and provide a safer transport service for the community of Rustenburg.

In 2017, the municipality started with construction of the 4km CBD (Central Business District) loop linking two main trunk corridors for the Yarona bus service. This project included the construction of roads, improvement of intersections, bridges, storm water channels, and walkways for easier and safer pedestrian movement. 

The municipality is ensuring local empowerment through 30% local content policy that aims to develop local business and labour on all major projects. To date 1,200 short term jobs have been created throughout the project and local small and medium business have been part of infrastructure development.

The first phases of the Rustenburg Rapid Transport project are due to launch during 2019 and will service the residents of Rustenburg through an integrated transport network. 

Although there had been regular progress updates, residents have been impatient with the prolonged construction programme particularly stakeholders in the CBD. Various stakeholder engagements were held with individual businesses within the CBD to minimise the impact of construction disruption to their business. 

Over the next three years, the municipality will launch a cash-less bus service which runs on 20km-long BRT trunk corridors, 18 stations and over 400km of routes which will be introduced in phases and aims to cover 80% of the municipality.

Another key aspect of the project is the installation of technology-based world class infrastructure such as installation of kiosks which would be used to load funds into cards. 

For further enquiries, kindly contact David Magae on 014 590 3509.

RLM press release: 30 October 2018