Golden Arrow Bus Service set to increase its fares
Golden Arrow Bus Service (GABS) announced that it will increase its fares by 2.7% on all cash and multi-journey products (formerly known as clipcards) from the 18th of September.
PICTURE: GABSIt added that the pricing of pensioner’s products will not
increase, and that GABS Gold Cards, a once-off purchase, will also remain at
R35.
In a statement, the bus company blamed the increase on
diesel, and a legacy of implementing fare increases that are much lower than
industry inflation.
‘’Golden Arrow’s interim operating contract with provincial
government makes provision for adjustments to fares to offset operational cost
increases,’’ said Derick Meyer, GABS General Manager.
‘’We remain ever cognisant of the impact of fare increases
on our passengers and therefore only implement increases when all cost-saving
options have been exhausted and absorbing operational cost increases is no
longer possible,’’ he added.
Meyer urged passengers to purchase a GABS Gold Card and
load weekly or monthly products instead of paying cash, as this he says, is a
cheaper option
‘’Weekly and monthly products are sold at a discount of up
to 45%. Golden Arrow remains committed to providing safe and reliable transport
for our passengers and providing a secure future for our employees.’’
Meyer said passengers can enquire about new fares from the
Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63 from 11 September 2023.
Meanwhile, the South African National Taxi Council
(SANTACO), announced that it will not increase its fares.
“We have noted the increase in fuel prices, especially
diesel, but we have not taken a decision on whether our associations will
review their fares, but as a rule we do not normally adjust our prices in
relation to the fluctuations in the price of fuel,’’ said Mandla Hermanus, Santaco
Western Cape chairperson.
‘’We normally review our prices once a year, sometimes once
every second year, but this varies from association to association. At the moment our prices will remain as they
are, but we will monitor the situation and should there be further increases in
the cost of fuel, then we might have to relook our pricing as well,” he added.
The City of Cape Town’s Urban Mobility Directorate
confirmed that it too will not increase fares. Mayco Member for Urban Mobility,
Rob Quintas, said MyCiTi tariffs will only increase should the diesel price
breach the R27,51 threshold for two consecutive months, after which the
increase becomes mandatory in the following month.
‘’The City is committed to providing an affordable and
reliable MyCiTi service. However, we also have a responsibility to ensure the
financial sustainability of the service. The Urban Mobility Directorate is
committed to providing accessible and equitable transportation for all our
residents, and our budget is structured in such a way that allows for fares to
be adjusted during the financial year only following significant and sustained
fuel price changes beyond a set threshold.’’
‘’This is a carefully considered approach that is designed
to ensure a resilience to fluctuations in the wholesale diesel price,
protecting residents from erratic price shocks,’’ addedthe City's Mayoral
Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.
SUPPLIED: GABSDone By: Mitchum George
*THIS BLOG WAS UPDATED TO ADD COMMENT FROM MYCITI
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