Johannesburg, Aug 31 - The authorities here have launched a new public bus service to help commuters to travel around the city. The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system would also be launched at other South African cities in phases, BuaNews reported Monday.

On Monday morning, long queues were reported at the city centre, as commuters rushed to get on board the new buses.

'Today is indeed a historic day for the city, for commuters and for the country, and we are really encouraged by the overwhelming support from commuters and the general public,' the local administration said in a statement.

'We ask commuters to please be patient if they encounter long queues at stations - we understand that it will take a while for the system to run at first,' the statement said.

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele officially launched the BRT Sunday, making Johannesburg the first city to roll out the system.

The buses will be running every five minutes during peak periods and every 20 minutes in off-peak periods starting at 4.45 a.m. to 11 p.m.