Gautrain too successful?

And the excavation process is completed, done and dusted. Tolling has nothing to do with the Gautrain and everything to do with government wanting you hard earned Rands. Check again, thread title "Gautrain too successful?" so to me it's a great alternate. You honestly believe that our government can manage anything successfully as long as they have access to tax payers money?
Tolling has to do with government forcing us of the roads and onto the gautrain, else they cannot make their targets.

I'll rather bet on greener power generation than greener fuel, I'd prefer if the world doesn't go hungry while we use all the food to make fuel or I guess we could all just charge our cars on the grid? One could also say in order to sustain the highway upgrades government had to legalize theft of your hard earned cash.
exactly, government monopoly on highways only benefit oil companies. Get rid of that first and alternatives will be found.

Space in the CBDs? Obesity? Stress? Space on roads from highways to destinations? Already failing supporting road infrastructure around highways? Increase in price of cars? Drunk driving? Greener in the long run? When do we stop adding lanes?... I see many reasons for public transport and one not to "quite a walk to hatfield"
How about you allow the economy to develop and if there is a need for alternative transport then it will be there. That is how the subway system got to work in New York. The private sector takes better care of its infrastructure and at a cheaper price than government.
 
The toll roads have everything to do with paying for the road upgrades... and nothing to do with the Gautrain.

+1. Stop being so negative Nicodeamus, try seeing the positive aspects too.
 
How can you say something is too successful? So the train is full - have you seen what the tubes look like in the mornings and afternoons? I think it's brilliant that we are finally getting public transport that isn't a disgrace (or dangerous)
 
How can you say something is too successful? So the train is full - have you seen what the tubes look like in the mornings and afternoons? I think it's brilliant that we are finally getting public transport that isn't a disgrace (or dangerous)

Because its full of standing people I struggle getting out of the train at the station I need to, if the thing is going to cost the same but take 2 or 3 times longer and be difficult to use than I'll just drive on the free flowing highway :)
 
How can you say something is too successful? So the train is full - have you seen what the tubes look like in the mornings and afternoons? I think it's brilliant that we are finally getting public transport that isn't a disgrace (or dangerous)

+1

I do agree that alternative means of transport is required in South Africa to get people off the roads but I just think that a lot more could have been done with the money this Gautrain cost by upgrading bus services or upgrading our exisiting train lines. I am glad but not really surprised that people are using the Gautrain (as alternative means are required (see above) but for me the cost of the Gautrain for the area that it covers was a waste
 
+1

I do agree that alternative means of transport is required in South Africa to get people off the roads but I just think that a lot more could have been done with the money this Gautrain cost by upgrading bus services or upgrading our exisiting train lines. I am glad but not really surprised that people are using the Gautrain (as alternative means are required (see above) but for me the cost of the Gautrain for the area that it covers was a waste

The problem with that is the taxi's again. They will most likely start shooting at the guys again. Maybe they are planning on increasing the coverage of the gautrain and this was only a test (vaguely remember something like that was mentioned at the time it was proposed.) I would much rather ride the train than sit in damn traffic. Even if I have to stand. I can read a book on my android phone while listening to music without having to stress about competing for a place on the road with a vehicle that should have been made scrap metal 20 years ago.

Now only if they would expand public transport in cape and boland......
 
Because its full of standing people I struggle getting out of the train at the station I need to, if the thing is going to cost the same but take 2 or 3 times longer and be difficult to use than I'll just drive on the free flowing highway :)

Less services for your car. Cheaper than the fuel you need to run for your car. Lower insurance premiums (some of the insurers are bringing this in now for people that use public transport) not getting to work stressed out because of some schmuck on the highway.

It's all win for a bit of standing in a train (my limit would be 45 minutes standing) How long does the ride take from start to finish for you?
 
The toll roads have everything to do with paying for the road upgrades... and nothing to do with the Gautrain.

yeah, the money used for our road upgrades were spent on building fast trains! This is a case of government killing two flies with 1 klap. You don't pay the toll roads therefore you're forces to use government's train...

So much for government being on the side of the poor and against the monopolies.
 
yeah, the money used for our road upgrades were spent on building fast trains! This is a case of government killing two flies with 1 klap. You don't pay the toll roads therefore you're forces to use government's train...

So much for government being on the side of the poor and against the monopolies.

Good public transport is an absolute need if we want to progress as a country. Seeing this success they should now start adding more carriages or even more trains on a better schedule.
 
Good public transport is an absolute need if we want to progress as a country. Seeing this success they should now start adding more carriages or even more trains on a better schedule.

Not true, we need good alternative transport, not public transport. Rather tax bus companies and road users less and allow for subways land to be purchased than having a top down, tax payer, legalized theft way of doing it. I'm not against alternatives, I think trains are great, I'm against government providing those alternatives and stealing from the populace while their at it.
 
I agree with Nicodeamus. If you realise just how MUCH we are being taxed it's quite scary. Just the levies on fuel are almost more than the cost of the fuel iteself. (See http://www.shell.com/home/content/zaf/products_services/on_the_road/fuels/petrolprice/ )
The basic fuel price + wholesale and dealer margins should take us to about R7.50/L. The remaining R3/L is made up entirely of some or the other levy.

Now I wouldn't ordinarily mind paying these levies if there was actually some tangible benefit. Instead we're being tolled, road maintenance is poor, and the RAF is a complete and utter joke.
 
The basic fuel price + wholesale and dealer margins should take us to about R7.50/L. The remaining R3/L is made up entirely of some or the other levy.

Now I wouldn't ordinarily mind paying these levies if there was actually some tangible benefit. Instead we're being tolled, road maintenance is poor, and the RAF is a complete and utter joke.

Mike you have to leave the orwellian pigs their feed. I wanted to say something nasty but what's the point. They have such thick skins it won't make a difference.
 
Really don't know why you guys are against the Gautrain? One train has just removed 7000 cars from the freeway, no more reason to add additional lanes and those with he money to burn on tolls and fuel are free to sail to work.

The Gautrain is not good, it's Great! It provides a much needed alternate and frees up the roads for those who want to drive...
 
Really don't know why you guys are against the Gautrain? One train has just removed 7000 cars from the freeway, no more reason to add additional lanes and those with he money to burn on tolls and fuel are free to sail to work.

The Gautrain is not good, it's Great! It provides a much needed alternate and frees up the roads for those who want to drive...

7000 a day vs 7000 an hour, in fact with the money spent they could have removed 14 000 per hour, but who am I arguing with common sense, logic and colonial mathematics. I don't know if you drive on the N1, but it is still congested.
 
7000 a day vs 7000 an hour, in fact with the money spent they could have removed 14 000 per hour, but who am I arguing with common sense, logic and colonial mathematics.

7000 Per train, how many trains are there?

I don't know if you drive on the N1, but it is still congested.

Nope I 'fly' with the Gautrain :) and my Maths say I save whole lotta cash on fuel, services, soon the tolls and maybe car payments if I go ahead and replace the car with a 250cc bike
 
Last edited:
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X