PIOTRANS, one of the companies that operates Jozi’s Rea Vaya bus rapid transit system, is on a war footing, but not necessarily because its drivers are on strike and commuters are stuck for a ride.
Noting its own achievements on its website, Piotrans says "40,000 passengers are now mobilised every day", meaning that is the number of commuters who use the service daily — except, of course, when the service is halted and passengers are immobile.
An announcement was expected on Tuesday on the Rea Vaya service and whether peace talks between Piotrans and its striking drivers might result in a truce. Meanwhile, the City of Johannesburg assured Rea Vaya customers that funds loaded onto their smart cards would "remain valid until the services resume". In military jargon, this means their funds remain mobilised.
Let the feet do the walking
PEOPLE in Limpopo are more likely than those in the other provinces to walk where they want to go if it is relatively close, which says a lot for the energy and drive of people in one of South Africa’s northernmost provinces. Their Northern Cape counterparts, by contrast, are the least inclined to walk anywhere. Gauteng, with some of the best transport facilities in the country, runs Limpopo a close second, with its citizens surprisingly eager to take to their feet.
The National Household Travel Survey 2013, conducted by Statistics SA for the Department of Transport, does not specify what it means by "nearby destination", but presumably this is anywhere up to 10km distant in the rural context, and as much as 10m away for urban coach potatoes.
Northern Cape transport, safety and liaison MEC Mac Jack (never heard of him, but interesting name) may want to conduct further research to establish why his constituents are so lazy. Perhaps there’s just not much reason to go anywhere?
Star Wars in the Balkans?
FAMOUS Star Wars villain Darth Vader is set to run for office in Ukraine, which underwent a violent change of government and lost part of itself to Russia recently. The UK Guardian newspaper reports that a man dressed as the sci-fi villain announced at the weekend that he intended leading the country after the coming elections.
The unnamed candidate was often spotted on Kiev’s Independence Square flanked by his loyal stormtroopers during the winter protests, and is now the official candidate of the Ukrainian Internet Party (UIP), which has a track record of performing such political stunts.
"After winning intraparty primaries by a landslide, comrade Vader will be our party’s candidate," said UIP leader Dmitry Golubov, who has himself spent time behind bars after being convicted of using the internet to run a credit card fraud scheme.
Wise words
"I FIND your lack of faith disturbing."
— Darth Vader, Star Wars IV: A New Hope
• E-mail [email protected]
COMMUTE: Users of the Rea Vaya bus rapid transport service in Soweto. Picture: SOWETAN
PIOTRANS, one of the companies that operates Jozi’s Rea Vaya bus rapid transit system, is on a war footing, but not necessarily because its drivers are on strike and commuters are stuck for a ride.
Noting its own achievements on its website, Piotrans says "40,000 passengers are now mobilised every day", meaning that is the number of commuters who use the service daily — except, of course, when the service is halted and passengers are immobile.
An announcement was expected on Tuesday on the Rea Vaya service and whether peace talks between Piotrans and its striking drivers might result in a truce. Meanwhile, the City of Johannesburg assured Rea Vaya customers that funds loaded onto their smart cards would "remain valid until the services resume". In military jargon, this means their funds remain mobilised.
Let the feet do the walking
PEOPLE in Limpopo are more likely than those in the other provinces to walk where they want to go if it is relatively close, which says a lot for the energy and drive of people in one of South Africa’s northernmost provinces. Their Northern Cape counterparts, by contrast, are the least inclined to walk anywhere. Gauteng, with some of the best transport facilities in the country, runs Limpopo a close second, with its citizens surprisingly eager to take to their feet.
The National Household Travel Survey 2013, conducted by Statistics SA for the Department of Transport, does not specify what it means by "nearby destination", but presumably this is anywhere up to 10km distant in the rural context, and as much as 10m away for urban coach potatoes.
Northern Cape transport, safety and liaison MEC Mac Jack (never heard of him, but interesting name) may want to conduct further research to establish why his constituents are so lazy. Perhaps there’s just not much reason to go anywhere?
Star Wars in the Balkans?
FAMOUS Star Wars villain Darth Vader is set to run for office in Ukraine, which underwent a violent change of government and lost part of itself to Russia recently. The UK Guardian newspaper reports that a man dressed as the sci-fi villain announced at the weekend that he intended leading the country after the coming elections.
The unnamed candidate was often spotted on Kiev’s Independence Square flanked by his loyal stormtroopers during the winter protests, and is now the official candidate of the Ukrainian Internet Party (UIP), which has a track record of performing such political stunts.
"After winning intraparty primaries by a landslide, comrade Vader will be our party’s candidate," said UIP leader Dmitry Golubov, who has himself spent time behind bars after being convicted of using the internet to run a credit card fraud scheme.
Wise words
"I FIND your lack of faith disturbing."
— Darth Vader, Star Wars IV: A New Hope
• E-mail [email protected]
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