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Transport architecture

Public transport facilities, then, should be the heartbeat of any city, but in South Africa, largely because the car is still so popular, this is only happening very gradually. The new Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system is helping to redress this imbalance, but fund allocation is still a core problem.
“The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa gets small pockets of funding from government, but not the large amounts it deserves,” says Steer. “The South African National Roads Agency is however, spending billions on upgrading our freeways. That’s the kind of push that needs to go into rail.”

Although government still prioritises roads and cars, architects could play a profound role in keeping the language of “liveable, friendly cities” - referred to by Ibrahim Seedat of the Department of Transport - alive.
Steer says the problem is that there is no benchmark, no best practice, no documentation in terms of the requirements of a new public transport design. Gautrain was the exception, as “we had very clear indications of what was required, and comprehensive studies were conducted.” He says it is vital for South African architects to bring international best practice to the attention of clients, and insist that it happens: “there is no reason to escape best practice, especially when it comes to commuter safety.”