Gautrain fare increases exorbitant
19 May 2014
The new fare increases announced by Gautrain last week are exorbitant. The fare increase on a normal pay-as-you-go ticket will increase by 19,3% from 1 June 2014.
These increases are far above the current inflation rate of 6%. This is unacceptable, especially given the fact that the Gautrain service is heavily subsidised by the Gauteng provincial government.
Although two off-peak tariffs have been introduced, the higher of the two tariffs still increases by 8,8%. Although the DA welcomes the introduction of improved off-peak discounts, this should not hide the fact that normal fares will increase by more than three times the rate of inflation.
With the negative impact of the introduction of e-tolls on Gauteng motorists, providing affordable alternative public transport has become a crucial necessity for commuters.