The George Municipality has announced the annual increase in the GO GEORGE bus fares from 1 July 2024. The increase forms part of the annual municipal tariff adjustments.
Bundles still the best buy
Smart card trips bought in bundles of 10 or more will increase by 85c per trip to R12.75 and
bundles of 2 – 8 trips will cost R14.15 per trip (95c increase). The price of single trips loaded on the Smart card increases with R1 to R17 to encourage passengers to load the multiple, cheaper bundles on their Smart cards and to avoid long queues to top up every few days.
The bundles of 10 trips and more remain the best buy. Purchasing this bundle saves a passenger who travels to work or school and back home five days per week, R170 per month in travel expenses compared to the same number of single trips.
Free trips for first-time card buyers
The cost of the smart card is R37. For first-time buyers presenting a valid form of identification, the price includes two free, preloaded trips. New cards with no identification and replacement cards also cost R37 and do not include any free trips. There is no profit for the Municipality in the sales of smart cards; on the contrary, the cards are sold at much less than their cost to the Municipality.
Trips loaded on a smart card never expire. This means that trips bought before the tariff increase stay valid. Passengers are welcome to buy more trips than usual before the increase to save money but are cautioned to keep their cards safe – if lost or stolen, the trips cannot be transferred to a new card.
Utilise existing Smart cards
Passengers are encouraged to utilise their existing cards to top up and not to unnecessarily purchase new cards if they do not need it. Similar to bank cards, smart cards expire five years after issuing by the bank. Hence, it makes even more sense to rather use existing cards you may have in reserve rather than purchase a new one if it is not really necessary.
For more information and an up-to-date list of top-up vendors all over town, please call the GO GEORGE Call Centre at 0800 044 044, follow the GO GEORGE Facebook page or visit the website www.gogeorge.org.za.
CAPTION:
Smart Cards can be topped at Smart Card kiosks or any of more than 150 top-up vendors all over town. The latest list of vendors is available at www.gogeorge.org.za/fares-cards.
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Munisipaliteit kondig GO GEORGE-tariefverhoging aan
Die George-munisipaliteit het die jaarlikse verhoging van die GO GEORGE-bustariewe vanaf 1 Julie 2024 bekendgemaak. Hierdie verhoging is deel van die jaarlikse munisipale tariefaanpassings.
Bondels steeds die beste koop
Slimkaartritte wat in bondels van 10 of meer gekoop word sal met slegs 85c per rit verhoog na R12.75 en bondels van minder as 10 ritte sal R14.15 per rit kos (’n 95c-verhoging). Die prys van enkelritte verhoog met R1 na R17 om passasiers aan te moedig om liewer die goedkoper ritte te koop en om lang rye elke paar dae te vermy.
Die bondels van 10 ritte en meer bly die beste koop en kan ’n passasier wat vyf dae per week werk of skool toe en terug huis toe ry, R170 per maand in vervoeruitgawes spaar, vergeleke met enkelritte wat op die kaart gelaai word.
Gratis ritte vir eerstekaartkopers
Die prys van die slimkaart is R37 vir kopers van hul eerste kaart wat twee gratis, voorafgelaaide ritte op die kaart insluit indien hulle ‘n geldige bewys van identiteit toon. Nuwe kaarte sonder identifikasie en vervangingskaarte kos ook R37, maar sluit geen gratis ritte in nie. Daar is geen wins vir die munisipaliteit in die verkope van slimkaarte nie; inteendeel, die kaarte word teen baie minder as die aankoopkoste daarvan vir die munisipaliteit verkoop.
Ritte wat op die slimkaart gelaai is, verval nooit nie. Dit beteken dat ritte wat voor die tariefverhoging gekoop is geldig bly. Passasiers is welkom om voor die verhoging meer ritte as gewoonlik te koop om geld te spaar, maar word gemaan om hul kaarte veilig te hou – indien dit wegraak of gesteel word, kan die ritte nie op ’n nuwe kaart oorgedra word nie.
Gebruik bestaande slimkaarte
Passasiers word aangemoedig om hul bestaande kaarte te gebruik om ritte op te laai en nie onnodig nuwe kaarte aan te koop as hulle dit nie nodig het nie. Soortgelyk aan bankkaarte, verval slimkaarte vyf jaar nadat dit deur die bank uitgereik is. Daarom maak dit selfs meer sin om eerder bestaande kaarte wat jy in reserwe het, te gebruik as om ‘n nuwe een te koop as dit nie regtig nodig is nie.
Vir meer inligting, skakel gerus die GO GEORGE-inbelsentrum by 0800 044 044, volg die GO GEORGE Facebook-blad of besoek die webblad www.gogeorge.org.za.
ONDERSKRIF:
Slimkaarte kan by Slimkaartkiosks herlaai word, of by enige van meer as 150 herlaaipunte (vendors) regoor die dorp. Die nuutste lys van sulke herlaaipunte is beskikbaar by www.gogeorge.org.za/fares-cards.
