Article: Gautrain passenger numbers should be investigated: DA

[DJ...]

Nevermind that, I might be labelled a snob, but I don't want to sit uncomfortably in a taxi. It's worth the relatively insignificant amount extra, to me.

You are the target market. Nothing wrong with your point of view...

[Garyvdh]

Too expensive for me, and not really located anywhere near me or the bus routes.

[Mila]

Taxi fare
PTA - JHB R26
Train - R7

Gautrain - > R46

How do you travel?
Mine Is R65 Centurion to Rhodesfield, and i still have to drive 40 km to and from the station daily
44 trips R1463

This is just not an option... as much as I want it to be

[DWPTA]

My biggest issue is the amount of stations and the feeder system. For my office the bus stop is right in front, but I need to get from PTA North to the PTA central station and that alone is mission and a half. If you don't leave PTA North before 6am you will be stuck in traffic.

But I presume it will take time for them to expand the network. Hopefully by the time they do it I'm not on retirement.

[Jola]

The trains start too late, and end too early.

I often cannot use the Gautrain because the times don't work, for example if you fly from Cape Town to Joburg after 18:00 then you cannot use the Gautrain, as it stops running at 20:30 !

Also : I have wanted to go to Day/Night cricket at Centurion, but you cannot do so because the trains stop running too early !

[werfie]

My biggest issue is the amount of stations and the feeder system. For my office the bus stop is right in front, but I need to get from PTA North to the PTA central station and that alone is mission and a half. If you don't leave PTA North before 6am you will be stuck in traffic.

But I presume it will take time for them to expand the network. Hopefully by the time they do it I'm not on retirement.

+1 I would even be willing to take the business express train from one of the stations (gulp) in Pta North to central and the Gautrain from there, but they cater for NOTHING on the other side of the zoo.

[Cool E]

Now do something similar with a view on safety ... I would much rather pay >R46 than risk my life in either a taxi or on those trains

good for you

[skippydox]

The new Transport Minister Ben Martins should urgently investigate the reasons why so few people use the Gautrain, it was reported on Wednesday.

Democratic Alliance transport spokesman Ian Ollis MP, said the low usage meant taxpayers were having to pay nearly R300 million a year to the Gautrain's operators, Beeld reported.

Instead of paying 300m for nothing, why not use that to subsidize the price then....for me the main issue is that there are no 'regular user' discounts for parking and buses. So if you going to park your car at the station and take the bus on the other end, you are already looking at more than 500 bucks before including the train fare.

[Paul_S]

Cost - It stupid expensive and to use it I need 2 cars which means two parking tickets.
Busses run to a very small area
Location

+1000
Gautrain need to expand their bus feeder networks so that I can get rid of my vehicle.
I can't afford to own a vehicle and use the Gautrain and I'm also not willing to walk 15km to the station or use a taxi (which also requires a long walk).

If the Gautrain was built to be used by the middle class then why did they take the main line towards Pretoria CBD instead of Pretoria North and East?

[Messugga]

My biggest issue is the amount of stations and the feeder system. For my office the bus stop is right in front, but I need to get from PTA North to the PTA central station and that alone is mission and a half. If you don't leave PTA North before 6am you will be stuck in traffic.

But I presume it will take time for them to expand the network. Hopefully by the time they do it I'm not on retirement.

Why not just go to the Hatfield station? It's quite a bit closer to your neck of the woods?

[Paul_S]

Why not just go to the Hatfield station? It's quite a bit closer to your neck of the woods?

Probably because using the Hatfield station adds another hop to the trip.
This costs more, both time and money wise.

[werfie]

Why not just go to the Hatfield station? It's quite a bit closer to your neck of the woods?

CBD is closer than Hatfield from PTA North.

[reactor_sa]

1) Costs more than a taxi trip

2) for those who can afford, the train is a serious detour from the destination

[intel8080]

I said right from tin begin: The Gautrain is a white elephant (or black for that matter). South Africans will subsidize it till the DA comes to power and retires it. Or until Jesus comes (depending for which side you are batting) WTF what are a few billions between friends (comrades)

[Guantanamo]

It's quite simple, 90% of people still need a car to get to the station. Therefor once you are in your car already, you might as well just drive the rest of the way. If they expanded the route so that people could take a stroll from their houses in the 'burbs to the nearest station, hope on and get off at work the numbers would be huge.

If they expanded the line (and I don't know Pretoria well so I will stick to Joburg) and had a station at say: Virgin Active Old Eds, The Wanderers, Linksfield Square, Cresta, Greenside, Eastgate, somewhere in Edenvale, Kempton Park, Bryanston, Morningside, Gallomanor, Fourways and Sunninghill you are now allowing people to walk to the station or it is close enough to get dropped off by a SO. You will find housewives in Bryanston heading down to Rosebank for coffee. Kids at school taking it and getting picked up by a school bus, businessmen going from meeting at Monte Casino to catching a flight to Cape Town. Right now we have a Gautrain line, we need a Gautrain network.

If they expanded it to be the red, from the blue that it is at the moment... Pipe dream.