{"id":597465,"date":"2025-06-05T15:02:23","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T13:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=597465"},"modified":"2025-06-05T15:02:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T13:02:28","slug":"gautrain-upgrade-has-one-big-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/motoring\/597465-gautrain-upgrade-has-one-big-problem.html","title":{"rendered":"Gautrain upgrade has one big problem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The current expansion plan for the Gautrain passenger rail service will neglect those who need effective public transport the most, the Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) has warned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AA has long been critical of the Gautrain running at a loss while being subsidised with around R2.5 billion in taxpayer funding annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its submission on the Gautrain expansion plans in 2021, the association said that an expensive expansion could not be justified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Gautrain has no prospect of being able to provide provincial-scale mass transit at a reasonable cost,” the AA said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The system overall lacks the flexibility to respond to changing economic and spatial development patterns.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AA proposed that investing in a provincial-scale bus system instead of the Gautrain expansion would be the best way to improve public transport in the province. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AA has been especially critical of the Gautrain’s pricing, which puts it out of reach for most of the province’s commuters, and its Patronage Guarantee subsidising travelling costs for the privileged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It argues that the vast majority of Gautrain users already have cars for commuting and are using the service due to its convenience, not out of need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The high prices also contribute to the Gautrain not operating anywhere near its capacity. Before the system was launched, it was envisioned that 130,000 riders would use the Gautrain daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That goal is still many years away, as peak usage has only reached a third of that number, and annual growth is at 5%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite adding to the country’s tax burden and serving only a select portion of the population, the government plans to spend at least another R120 billion on the network expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AA spokesperson Eleanor Mavimbela told MyBroadband that expanding the system without addressing its existing structural gaps risked deepening mobility inequality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Gautrain remains a premium service in a country with an urgent need for reliable, affordable, mass transport,” Mavimbela said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The ultimate goal should be a balanced, multimodal transport system that enables economic participation and mobility for all \u2014 not just for a privileged few.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investments in bus networks and taxi ranks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Editorial credit: Rich T Photo \/ Shutterstock.com\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mavimbela highlighted three key areas to make the Gautrain more inclusive and integrated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n