LISTEN | City announces lifting of Rea Vaya suspension

City of Johannesburg says it has lifted the suspension of Rea Vaya Phase 1B buses with immediate effect after reaching agreement with the bus operating company. This comes after commuters were stranded on Tuesday following the suspension of buses over alleged non-payment. However, the city announces late on Tuesday night that the suspension had been lifted after reaching an agreement with the bus operating company “The intention was not to leave commuters stranded but to find an appropriate solution for bus operations to resume without interruptions,” said Benny Makgoga, Rea Vaya spokesperson.

On Tuesday, Mahier Tayob – the business rescue practitioner for the Joburg Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) – had said the buses would only return to the streets once the City of Johannesburg settles the outstanding R30m payment it owes. Tayob said the operators Piotrans and Litsamaiso, which run Rea Vaya, were still waiting for the city to pay what it owes and that payment delays have made it impossible to continue running the service. On Tuesday, Rea Vaya removed all its buses from the road, causing panic among Johannesburg commuters.

Makgoga later released a statement saying operations would be paused until further notice. According to Tayob, the city owes about R30m, which has left operators unable to maintain buses, pay for fuel or cover staff wages. “We’re not being paid by the city, and it seems the city doesn’t understand any other language,” Tayob said.

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He added that halting operations was a deliberate move to force engagement from the municipality. “This is not the first time. The city hasn’t changed its business model, and it continues to make it very difficult for operators,” he said.

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