Job creation and localisation would form an important part of the City of Johannesburg's future procurement programmes for its Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) system, the city's mayoral committee member for transport Rehana Moosajee said Tuesday.

Her statement came on the back of the City of Johannesburg's finalisation of the delivery of 143 new buses for Phase 1B of the metro's BRT system, with the preferred bidder having been appointed. ''We just need to finalise the delivery schedule and local content targets,'' she noted.

Moosajee pointed out that although the first Rea Vaya buses were imported from Brazil fully assembled, between 80% and 90% of the bodies could be sourced locally, while the chassis would also eventually be locally produced.

In terms of the city's Metropolitan Bus Service (Metrobus), Moosajee said the ageing fleet meant that a refleeting plan would have to be developed within the next year to 18 months. Here too, localisation and job creation would form critical aspects of the process.

She added that the city's Metrobus system would have to be ''unbundled'' and that possibilities, such as employee share ownership and the consolidation of bus routes, would have to be considered.

Moosajee asserted that the proper integration of all modes of transport was important and that the City of Johannesburg aimed to achieve transport-orientated economic development by concentrating development along transit corridors and bringing housing closer to these corridors.

''The poorest are paying the most for transport,'' she noted, adding that the city's public transport system faced many challenges, including lack of integration, information and poor infrastructure.

She stated that funding the maintenance of public transport infrastructure would have to be among the important points of discussion for the City of Johannesburg in future.

Also weighing on the city's public transport system was the lack of community involvement, responsibility and accountability. Moosajee indicated that incidents of road sign vandalism were increasing and becoming a growing concern.

Also central to achieving the city's goals of transforming its public transport system, Moosajee said, was building the required skills to accommodate such projects.

Meanwhile, she noted that the city would launch a three-month-long household travel survey in February, which would reach 7 000 households and form the basis for the city’s new Integrated Transport Plan (ITP). ''The first draft framework of the ITP will be complete by the end of the financial year, which is June.''

According to statistics from 2003, 53% of trips in Johannesburg were made using private transport, while 47% of trips were made using public transport. Of the public transport trips, 72% of people used taxis, 14% trains and 9% buses, while the rest walked.

Moosajee noted that the city was also seeking to promote ''nonmotorised'' forms of transport such as walking and the use of bicycles.