Is public transport the answer for you?

© Peter Titmuss via 123RF

We have broken down all the options to make the decision easier for you. We not only look at safety, but cost, routes and reliability to make the decision easier.

1. Metrorail

Metrorail transports up to two million people to work daily in the following provinces:

• Gauteng
• Western Cape
• KwaZulu Natal
• Eastern Cape

Metrorail covers over 2,400 kilometres of track through the provinces that they travel through.

Safety

Metrorail has a safety campaign that it promotes safe travelling among its all passengers.

Prasa, otherwise known as the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, has been under scrutiny for a number of years due the many criminal incidents that have taken place on various platforms around SA.

Prasa has however, provided security on all train platforms but it is still not advisable to walk around the station alone.

Cost

The costing depends on whether you choose to travel Metro(third class) or Metro+ (first class).

A daily ticket can cost anything from R7.50 to R22.50.

Routes

Metrorail transports passengers through the following provinces in South Africa:

• Eastern Cape
• Western Cape
• KwaZulu Natal
• Gauteng

Reliability

With a number of train strikes taking place around the country, there is a huge reliability factor at play. Hundreds of thousands of commuters are left stranded on a regular basis due to unforeseen strikes and delays.

Is it reliable?

Well, it has its days but be sure to have another transport alternative just in case a random strike or delay comes out of the woodwork.

2. MyCiti

MyCiti is a booming bus rapid transport system that was formed in 2010 transporting passengers from north to south along the coastline of Cape Town.

The aim of MyCiti was to create a comfortable transport system that reduced the amount of traffic on the roads as well as an efficient means of transport for citizens to take to and from work.

Safety

According to MyCiti, special attention is paid to safety and security, especially at the stations.

Throughout the routes, there are a number of monitored CCTV cameras as well as security personnel at each terminal.

It is not the safety of MyCiti that you have to worry about. Rather the taxi drivers who take to setting buses alight and burning down stations.

This is something one has to be aware of when travelling with MyCiti.

It is one of the safest forms of transport in Cape Town, however.

Cost

As of July 2017, MyCiti fares have increased, making this one of the more expensive means of transport.

In order to be able to travel on MyCiti, passengers have to purchase a MyConnect card on which they can load money.

• New card holders pay R35 for a card, however;
• Existing members whose cards have expired pay R22 to replace their old card.

There are other MyCiti package options such as:

The Single Trip Packages – This allows users to take one journey anywhere within a two year period. This card costs R30 and R100 including airport trips.

Mover Package - This package will save you at least 30% of your fares. This packages allows the money that you load onto your card to reflect as points. The only downside is that it can you can only purchase these points at station kiosks. Prices range from R35 to R1000.

Monthly Pass - You can purchase a monthly card that provides you with unlimited trips. This will cost you R780.

Standard Fare Package - The cool thing about this package is that you can use the money on your card to as a debit card for food or other essentials if you don’t have cash on you. 

Routes

MyCiti has routes all around the Cape Town area spanning as far as Atlantis.

Reliability

MyCiti is seen as one of the most reliable transport solutions.

Each station is equipped with informative boards and station officials who are able to assist you as well as inform you of your bus’ arrival time.

3. Golden Arrow Bus Services

This service has been transporting passengers for over 150 years. Golden Arrow Buses transport over 220,000 passengers a week.

There is currently a fleet of 1,046 buses that run 1,300 routes around the Cape Metropole.

Continue reading the full article on Compare Guru.