Major change coming to Johannesburg’s public transport

Johannesburg is taking its first steps towards introducing electric buses into its public transport fleet, with a new trial to test how the technology performs on the city’s roads.

The City launched the 30- to 60-day electric bus technology trial on Thursday, 3 September 2026, in partnership with C40 Cities, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and major vehicle manufacturers.

The trial will see electric buses operate alongside Johannesburg’s existing fleet on selected Metrobus and Rea Vaya BRT Phase 1C(a) routes.

This means commuters will continue to receive normal services while the City gathers data on how the technology performs under real-world conditions.

Where will the electric buses operate?

The trial will cover some of Johannesburg’s high-demand transport corridors, including routes through:

• Soweto
• Sandton
• Johannesburg CBD
• Roodepoort
• Berea
• Yeoville
• Orange Grove
• Norwood
• Alexandra
• Marlboro

The buses will also operate on the Rea Vaya Phase 1C(a) route, allowing the City to assess their performance across different types of routes and operating conditions.

The trial is about more than simply seeing whether an electric bus can get from A to B.

The City will assess battery performance and energy consumption, fleet reliability, maintenance requirements, intelligent transport systems and the overall life-cycle costs of operating electric buses.

Passenger experience will also be monitored, including:

• Comfort
• Accessibility
• Safety
• Noise levels
• Vehicle emissions

Could this change the city’s future bus fleet?

The City says the trial is intended to provide evidence for future decisions about replacing and upgrading its bus fleet.

MMC for Transport Kenny Kunene said Johannesburg needs to move away from simply purchasing buses using traditional approaches and instead test different technologies before making major fleet investments.

The initiative forms part of the City’s wider Green Transport and Climate Action agenda, which aims to modernise public transport while improving efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of mobility.

Transport Department Executive Director Lutando Maboza described the trial as a “living laboratory” on Johannesburg’s streets, where cleaner propulsion, intelligent transport systems and safety measures can be tested under actual operating conditions.