A monthly return ticket on the Gautrain between Hatfield in Pretoria and Park Station in Johannesburg will cost R1 716, provincial authorities said on Wednesday.
“[The tickets] are sufficiently price attractive to create a substantial shift from private car use to public transport in the form of the Gautrain,” Gauteng transport provincial minister Ismail Vadi said in announcing the fares.
When the Gautrain was fully operational — probably in July — it would cost R105 to travel one way to the OR Tambo International Airport from Sandton (an increase of R5), R125 from Pretoria, and R115 from Johannesburg Park Station.
A weekly ticket between Park Station and Hatfield would cost R430 and a one-way ticket between Pretoria and Johannesburg R49.
Monthly ticket holders would get a 20% discount and weekly ticket holders a 10% discount, said Vadi, who expected that most people would buy monthly tickets.
He said the price was competitive when compared to other modes of public transport.
The first phase of the 80km Gautrain was opened in June, just before the Soccer World Cup.
Vadi said commuters would pay R10 a day to park at stations if they were using the Gautrain and R80 a day if they were not.
“Gautrain will be able to transport commuters every day, in all directions, providing economic mobility and the convenience of door-to-door commuting,” he said.
The rapid rail link was aimed not only at meeting future transport demands and improving the image of public transport, but also at economic development and employment creation, he said.
Gautrain Project chief executive Jack van der Merwe said it was hoped the train’s passenger intake would increase from 2.7 million commuters a month to three million when it became fully operational.
He said about 2 000 permanent jobs were expected to be created when the Gautrain became fully operational.
The train, which has a peak speed of 160km/h, was introduced to reduce traffic congestion on roads and encourage more use of public transport.
It takes 20 minutes to travel between Sandton and Centurion. — Sapa