SA ranked number one in global transport price index

20th August 2014 By: Natasha Odendaal - Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

SA ranked number one in global transport price index

Photo by: Duane Daws

A global transportation price index has ranked South Africa the cheapest overall for bus, trains and aeroplane travel for every 100 km out of 51 countries.

Online platform GoEuro compared the average price a 100 km of rail, road or air movements between the most populous provinces in each country, taking into account the distance, scheduling and taxes.

South Africa came in at the least expensive overall, with the average bus journey costing $3.67/100 km, train journeys costing $1.88/100 km and flights costing $11.63/100 km.

South Africa boasted the lowest cost for train travel, followed by Georgia at $2.39/100 km and Egypt at $2.49/100 km, said GoEuro, which was established in 2012.

Denmark, at a cost of $39.84/100 km, Switzerland at $38.28/100 km and Austria at $32.16/100 km emerged as the most expensive.

The travel search website showed that Egypt was the cheapest country in terms of bus travel, which cost about $1.88/100 km, followed by Ukraine with $3.07/100 km and Thailand with $3.11/100 km, while the Netherlands, Austria and Norway secured the top spots for the most expensive, costing $28.58, $23.45 and $21.61 respectively for every 100 km travelled.

The report found that, in addition to South Africa, India and Malaysia offered the cheapest air travel at $10.36 and $11.43 respectively for every 100 km.

Finland, Switzerland and Lithuania were the most expensive countries to travel by aeroplane at a cost of $138.90, $125.07 and $116.72 respectively for every 100 km.

The most expensive country for transport overall was Switzerland, where bus journeys cost $18.67/100 km, train journeys $38.28/100 km and flights cost $125.07/100 km.