Cape Town commuters using Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) will face higher fares from Monday 28 September, after the company announced an average 4.5% increase on selected cash fares.

The fare adjustment will mainly affect passengers paying cash for off-peak journeys, while most peak-period fares and Gold Card multi-journey products will remain unchanged.

Targeted increase

According to GABS, the increase has been limited to selected fares in an effort to reduce the impact on commuters who rely on the bus service during peak travel periods.

Off-peak cash fares, which apply to journeys between 08:00 and 16:00, will see increases, while most peak cash fares will remain at their current levels. Selected peak fares will, however, also be adjusted.

The new fares will come into effect on Monday 28 September.

GABS spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said the company had opted for a targeted adjustment rather than increasing fares across the board.

The company said it had absorbed a significant portion of the increases in its operating costs, but could no longer absorb all of the additional expenses without making adjustments to some fares.

Gold Card fares unchanged

Passengers who use Gold Card multi-journey products will not be affected by the increase.

GABS said these products continued to provide commuters with savings compared with paying cash for individual journeys, with discounts of up to 45% available on certain products.

The reusable GABS Gold Card costs R40 as a once-off purchase.

The Go Easy multi-journey products currently include five rides for R134, 10 rides for R248.50 and 48 rides for R1 093.

The products can be used on almost all GABS routes, giving regular commuters an alternative to paying the increased cash fares.

Rising cost of running buses

The fare increase comes as public transport operators continue to face higher operating costs, including fuel, vehicle maintenance, spare parts, tyres and labour.

GABS said it had made efforts to contain these costs and protect commuters from increases for as long as possible.

The company previously said in March that commuters would not face an immediate fare increase despite rising fuel costs, indicating that it was absorbing the additional expense at the time.

The latest adjustment means commuters who continue paying cash, particularly those travelling outside peak periods, will now have to factor the higher fares into their daily transport costs.

GABS has encouraged regular passengers to consider its multi-journey products as a way of reducing the cost of individual trips.

New fares available from Wednesday

Passengers wanting to know exactly how the increase will affect their particular route will be able to obtain the new fare information from the GABS Transport Information Centre.

The information will be available from Wednesday 23 September by calling 0800 65 64 63.

The company said the targeted nature of the increase meant that not all commuters would experience a fare change, with Gold Card multi-journey users and most peak-period cash passengers protected from the adjustment.

Commuters petition against MyCiTi increase

TygerBurger previously reported that commuters, residents and the public launched a petition opposing the City of Cape Town’s decision to increase the MyCiTi monthly pass from R1 000 to R1 500 from 1 July.

The 50% increase prompted calls for the fare structure to be reviewed and for relief measures to be introduced for workers, learners and low-income commuters.

Petitioners also called for greater transparency around the costs, subsidies and fuel-related increases used to determine fares, as well as public engagement with affected communities.

The City, however, said the MyCiTi increase was necessary to keep the service financially sustainable, with Mayco member for urban mobility Rob Quintas saying the City had been absorbing rising fuel costs for months.

He said the City was spending an additional R9.1 million a month on fuel and warned that failing to maintain the service’s financial sustainability could result in routes being cut or services reduced.

ALSO READ: Cape Town commuters petition against 50% MyCiTi bus monthly pass increase