KTVR Bus Service is comprised of the Ekurhuleni Transport Operators, majority of whom are the Ekurhuleni Taxi Operators (ETI). The ETI is currently involved in negotiations with the local government of the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) as part of the industry commitment to transform the Taxi Operations into a formalized bus service operation to be contracted by the CoE.

At the finalization of negotiations with CoE Taxi Operators affected by the introduction of the IRPTN will be compensated for the loss of their business and will be given an opportunity to either purchase business shares in the Vehicle Operating Company (VOC) to established or pursue other business interest.

The City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (CoE) is one of the 12 Cities in South Africa selected to implement the introduction of an Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network (IRPTN) to overhaul the city’s public transport network in order to realise an integrated, quality, safe, affordable and reliable public transport system.

The CoE has as part of the IRPTN started to roll out the introduction of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System named Harambee and have appointed KTVR Bus Service (KTVR) to provide a bus fleet and operate the bus operation of the system.

KTVR is expected to source and secure private funding to finance the procurement of a bus fleet meeting all the Harambee BRT specifications. To date, private funding has been secured and forty Harambee BRT Buses have been procured, with 18 of them already in operation between Tembisa Hospital and Isando and OR Tambo International Airport.

The CoE intends to roll-out the IRPTN in five phases, namely:

• Phase 1: Tembisa Hospital to Vosloorus (Operated by KTVR)
• Phase 2: Kempton-Park West to Thokoza (South of Alberton)
• Phase 3: Kempton-Park CBD to Tsakane, Including Brakpan to Germiston
• Phase 4: Etwatwa to Dunnottar, including Daveyton to Boksburg
• Phase 5: Daveyton to Pomona

It is important to acknowledge that KTVR is a service provider to the CoE and not the project champion, therefore we are not exclusively responsible for the roll out of IRPTN but as a service provider, we are responsible for the provision of buses with qualified drivers to operate the bus schedule as determined by CoE.

The implementation of the IRPTN requires the development of infrastructure designed for such networks such as a dedicated bus trunk route which is critical for the rapidness of the BRT System coupled with the construction of median bus stations equipped with the necessary Information Technology infrastructure.