Bus Fares: Golden Arrow hikes its fares by 7% for Cape Town commuters

Golden Arrow Bus Service in Cape Town announced that they will hike the bus fare by 7% next month.

Commuters expressed mixed emotions about this hike.

GOLDEN ARROW BUS FARE HIKES

Golden Arrow bus manager Derick Meyer stated that the bus fare was supposed to increase by December 2023.

“We remain acutely aware of the difficult economic climate in which our passengers find themselves and therefore took the unprecedented decision to delay our standard end-of-year increase, which should have taken place in December.”

Cape Argus interviewed a few of the bus commuters Vuyiswa Cele who uses the bus to commute every week to and from work, who currently pays R560 for her monthly bus ticket.

“It becomes really difficult when things keep increasing but the salary is still the same. If taxis are not increasing I think I will have to opt for taking a taxi now,” Cele said.

Automobile Association spokesperson, Layton Beard, said a 7% increase in bus fares was in line with inflation.

Meyer said the Gabs interim operating contract with the Western Cape government made provision for adjustments to fares to offset operational cost increases.

SOUTH AFRICA HIT HARD BY SOARING FUEL HIKES

Business Tech stated that according to Stats SA published consumer price inflation (CPI) print for February with economists anticipating an increase thanks to higher petrol prices.

“The petrol price increased by 3.3% in February after three consecutive months of declines, with the rise reflecting a combination of an increase in the price of Brent crude oil (up 1.9% m/m) and a depreciation in the rand/dollar exchange rate (down by 2.8%).

This pushed the petrol price to around 5.5% from 3.3%.”

upward pressure to the inflation outcome, and alluded to the worse to come in March, thanks to an even bigger hike experienced this month.