The roll-out of e-tolling in Gauteng had boosted demand for Gautrain train and bus services, with the last Friday in November and first Monday and Tuesday in December recording the highest ridership to date, the Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) said on Friday.

For November, average weekday passenger trips on Gautrain train services numbered 47 400, with Gautrain bus services recording 18 000 trips.              

On December 3 – the day e-tolling started on Gauteng highways – these numbers increased to 52 400 train users and 21 000 bus users.

This represented an estimated growth of about 10%. 

Average weekday passenger trips on the train had reached 26 000 at the beginning of April 2012, growing to 42 000 at the end of March this year.

“The increase in the usage and the success of the Gautrain shows that commuters are making a conscious shift from private car use to public transport, which is in line with the aim of the 25-Year Integrated Transport Master Plan (ITMP25), which has recently been approved by the Gauteng provincial Cabinet,” said the GMA in a statement. “Key to the ITMP25 is to prioritise public transport, with the rail system being the backbone of the transport network.”

Proposed expansions to the provincial rail network would include a link from the existing Gautrain Park Station to Westgate in the Johannesburg inner-city; a link from the existing Gautrain Rhodesfield station to Boksburg; a rapid-rail link from Naledi in Soweto to Mamelodi, via either the proposed Gautrain Samrand station, or the existing Gautrain Midrand station; and a link from the existing Gautrain Sandton station to Randburg.

“These indicated rail links will be investigated and the necessary studies undertaken in due course,” noted the GMA.

IT’S CHEAPER TO TAKE THE GAUTRAIN – GMA
The GMA on Friday issued a cost comparison between travelling by private vehicle and using the Gautrain system, with the Gautrain emerging as the winner, according to the agency’s calculations.

Option 1, travelling by private car between Hatfield, in Pretoria, and Rosebank, in Johannesburg, would cost R207.66 per round trip, stated the GMA.

Travelling by car to the Hatfiled station for a distance of 5 km, using the Gautrain station parking for the day, hopping on the Gautrain with no special discount multi-use pass, using the Gautrain bus to the final destination and returning the same way, would cost R143.54.

These calculations excluded toll fees on the Gauteng highways, noted GMA spokesperson Dr Barbara Jensen.