Students, pupils and low income earners can now travel between Pretoria and Johannesburg at under R50 a trip — R10 cheaper than the current R60 taxi fare for the same trip.
This comes as the province, in what appears like an attempt to save the Gautrain, has launched KlevaMova, a special initiative offering a 50% discount on train trips to individuals living in households with a combined household annual income of R350,000 or less and other special qualifying groups.
These include students under the age of 25, pupils, pensioners, and recipients of the South African Social Security Agency’s (Sassa) disability grant.
KlevaMova is available as weekly, monthly and return trip products and is subject to an approval and verification process.
Gautrain spokesperson Albi Modise said successful applicants will receive confirmation telephonically and via email with instructions on how and where to collect their Gautrain cards.
He said the initiative is meant to make the Gautrain more inclusive.
“We do not aim to compete with the taxis. The product is aimed at making mobility affordable for the targeted groups, without seeking to compete with any of the operators. After all there is also the first and last mile that needs to be covered by some of the operators,” Modise said.
A taxi from Johannesburg CBD to Pretoria costs R60 one way, while a reduced Gautrain fare between Park Station and Pretoria Central is R99 and would drop to under R50 under the new plan. Passengers with return trips may park at its stations for only R1 a day until the end of July.
The Gautrain is struggling to recover from the affect of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw commuter numbers drop by almost half, losing 5-million passengers in the period.
According to the Gauteng Household Travel Survey, transport is one of the highest cost items for many households, particularly for commuters located on the periphery of cities and far from economic hubs.
The survey found that nearly 60% of households spent more than 10% of their income on public transport in 2019/20, up from 55% of households in 2014.
Modise said rail operators globally continued to adjust to changing ridership patterns by adapting their service offerings.
“Public transport systems such as the Gautrain should be inclusive, ensuring accessibility and ease of movement for diverse market segments.”
Transport expert and former lecturer at the University of Johannesburg Vaughan Mostert argues that “every subsidised passenger transport operation in Gauteng needs to be placed under one overall management body”, including Metrobus services in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni to create a “province-wide network of bus services”.
“Gautrain must be incorporated into the Passenger Rail Agency of SA [and] charge first-class Prasa fares. To handle the extra passengers, most coaches will need to have their seats removed,” Mostert said.
“Against this background, giving discounts of 50% on Gautrain is typical of the Mickey Mouse way public transport is being run in Gauteng and everywhere else in SA,” Mostert said.
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela said affordable and accessible public transport was crucial for reducing the cost of living.
“KlevaMova forms part of government’s efforts to make the Gautrain more accessible to a large share of the population in Gauteng, attract a diverse range of passengers across income groups, and ensure that cost is not a barrier to accessing an efficient, safe, and convenient public transport service,” Diale-Tlabela said.
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