Pretoria - Metrorail will increase train fares in Gauteng from July 1, Metrorail provincial manager Tembela Kulu said on Wednesday.
“We hope that the inconvenience caused by this relatively small increase will be matched by a continuously improved quality of service commuters will soon be able to enjoy.
“We wish to assure commuters that rail is still by far the cheapest mode of public transport in South Africa. We are confident that the value we offer makes up for the little extra they will be spending to travel with us,” said Kulu.
Commuters should expect to pay 50c more on all single tickets, R1 more for return tickets, while weekly and monthly ticket holders will pay an extra 15 cents per trip in Gauteng.
From 1 July, the average minimum single ticket fare of R6 will increase to R6.50 for a Metro ticket, from R8 to R8.50 for Metro Plus and from R9.50 to R10 for Metroplus Express.
A weekly ticket will cost six times the price of a single for Metro and eight times the price of a single for Metro Plus.
A monthly ticket will cost three times the price of a weekly ticket, which gives one full week as a discount to commuters.
Metrorail Gauteng transports 1.3 million commuters, who are dependent on trains to get to work, school and leisure facilities daily.
Kulu said the decision to adjust service fares was not taken lightly, as the rail operator is well aware of the effects of increased costs on commuters.
The decision also looked at socio-economic factors such as affordability, rising costs and inflation to ensure that commuters “are not worse off”.
Kulu said most commuters do not earn an income, and those with an income earn less than R2 500 per month. Metrorail, Kulu said, had resisted the economic pressure to increase its fares in line with CPI and opted for a lower percentage.
Operating costs have risen and the government subsidy has been reduced – factors which Kulu said left the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) with no option but to increase train fares.
Currently, the train ticket is subsidised by government at 70% of the operating costs.
Kulu said this annual fare increment was necessary for Metrorail to be able to continue providing the train service to commuters. - SAnews.gov.za
