SOUTH AFRICA - With the ability to transport hundreds of commuters to 150 stations the city of Joburg's multimillion rand "high quality" bus system - Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system - seems to be the ideal solution to traffic congestion.

But, Ward Councillor Marcelle Ravid and Saxonwold residents are less than happy with the city's current proposal for the BRT route along Oxford Road between Riviera and Glenhove roads, which will see only one lane in each direction become available to private vehicles.

This, Ravid said will cause insurmountable "pandemonium" in the area - much like when sections of Oxford Road collapsed twice this year - as motorists will seek alternative routes to avoid the bottleneck and ultimately rat race through the suburbs.

"There is pandemonium in the suburbs at the moment due to the problem with the sinkholes in Oxford Road. This is only a taste of what is to come.

"The solution of diversion routes into the soft core of Saxonwold and Riviera is the wrong solution," she said.

She has called the city's proposed option "short-sighted", suggesting rather that property be expropriated along Oxford Road to allow for the second lanes to continue existing.