Bus users fume after second price hike

‘We explained to passengers that they had been undercharged’

COMMUTERS on a Manenberg to Wynberg route are refusing to pay escalating fares after Golden Arrow Bus Services adjusted its ticket prices for a second time since the start of the year.

The bus service annually increases its fares, communicating the price hikes on social media. Last December, the fee increase by 4.45%.

Manenberg resident Nazeema Samuels said she and her fellow commuters had been informed of a second fare increase in February.

“We were met on our bus by one of their officials, who informed us of the increase. It went from R7.80 a single ride to R8.90 in January. Then it increased in February to R15.70, which is a 100% fare increase in less than two months,” said Samuels.

She said they had been told drivers were requesting the incorrect fare with no concrete reasons or prior notification given to passengers.

“Their official was here and he was arrogant and told us we had no choice but to pay the increased fare. We know our rights and we will not be intimidated with threats of arrest,” said Samuels.

She said passengers would protest and even risk arrest to stand up for their rights.

Golden Arrow spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said some of their drivers were charging passengers from a single fare grid for two separate routes.

“The internal Manenberg Route (Manenberg SAPS) fare is R15.70 and the route travelling via Govan Mbeki, which does not enter Manenberg but operates from the outskirts, costs R8.90.

“These two routes do not intersect at any point, and once this was picked up we communicated this to the passengers and explained that they had been undercharged,” said Dyke-Beyer.

She said the company regretted the inconvenience this had caused and empathised in terms of budgetary concerns, but they could not continue to charge a fare that was not correct.

“Our company officials are instructed to follow company procedure when engagements escalate, and drive to a police station for their safety. It must be noted that passengers refused to pay the fare and threatened to set the bus alight,” said Dyke-Beyer.

Golden Arrow has urged their passengers to rather purchase a weekly clipcard at R100.50 or a monthly card, which costs R442 (R9.21 a trip), as it was more cost effective than the cash fare.

Passenger notices would be distributed to provide further clarification to commuters that they had been undercharged previously, and that there had not been an increase, said Dyke-Beyer.