The Johannesburg transportation system is being optimised through various road and railway upgrades.

In May Sibongile Mazibuko, the City's executive director for 2010, said: “The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system will be used during the Confederations Cup, pending the buy-in of the taxi industry, which needs clarity on how operators will benefit from the operational process.”   

However, on the 4th of June this year, the BRT system was postponed until August due to ongoing consultations with the taxi industry. Instead the City of Johannesburg will spend R10 million to put fans in taxis in plan B project - "iTransie 2 Ellispark".

Mazibuko stressed the importance of the city‘s readiness to host the Confederations Cup this year and the World Cup next year. “Johannesburg is a megacity and we are the biggest of the hosts for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We are expecting more people to stay here, which brings into question issues of accommodation, safety and transport. As matters stand, there are 135 hotels (6 628 beds) and more than 250 non-hotels (981 beds) coupled with various small, medium-sized and macro enterprise bed-and-breakfast operations that are widely established across the city and surrounding areas.”

Plans put in place will ensure that South Africa’s transportation system is effective during the upcoming FIFA Confederations Cup. Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said: “With preparations for the FIFA Confederations Cup, which will kick-off on 14 June and be held in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Bloemfontein and Rustenburg, we have been working hard in conjunction with provincial and local government towards ensuring that this dry-run for the 2010 FIFA World Cup is successful.” 

These preparations included infrastructure development at airports, roads, the rail sector, road traffic management, and a reduction in road crashes. 

Taxi operators not happy with BRT

BRT is an innovative, high capacity, lower cost public transit solution that can significantly improve urban mobility.  This permanent, integrated system uses buses or specialized vehicles on roadways or dedicated lanes to quickly and efficiently transport passengers to their destinations, while offering the flexibility to meet transit demands. 

Thousands of taxi drivers embarked on a one-day strike in March in Gauteng against government's BRT system, saying the system of stealing business from them.