In the photo. As part of a visit to George during their annual Premier’s Cycle Tour, Western Cape Minister of Mobility, Isac Sileku (right) handed over the feedback report of the 2024 survey to Premier, Alan Winde (middle). The two keen cyclists hopped on a bus to Thembaletu – in their cycling wear, just off the road – and engaged with numerous passengers at bus stops and on the bus. George Executive Mayor, Ald. Jackie von Brandis (left), accompanied the Cape delegation during the bus ride and handover.
The verdict is in: GO GEORGE has earned an outstanding 91% passenger satisfaction rating, reaffirming its role as a vital public transport service that prioritises safety, accessibility, mobility, and affordability. Residents of George have embraced GO GEORGE as more than just a transport system; they see it as a driver of economic growth, environmental sustainability and social upliftment in the region.
This impressive rating stems from the 2024 Macro-, Transport-, Socio-Economic Study (MTSES), an annual passenger satisfaction survey conducted among GO GEORGE users, special-interest groups, and other stakeholders indirectly affected by the service.
A public transport system that drives economic growth
Western Cape Minister of Mobility, Isaac Sileku, emphasised the far-reaching impact of public transport: “An inclusive and well-functioning transport service plays a vital role in economic development, poverty alleviation, social integration, and job creation in communities. We need to know whether GO GEORGE is hitting the mark and, as a provincial partner, we find this survey the optimal tool to obtain feedback on passenger experience regarding system operation. The Total Value Assessment (TVA) approach followed in compiling this survey recognises the non-monetary as well as monetary value of a public transport system, providing crucial information needed for planning and adjustment of the service to meet our passengers’ needs.”
Passenger feedback and key survey insights
The annual survey, commissioned by GO GEORGE and conducted by socio-economic research specialists, aims to assess the macro- and transport-economic impact on the bus service. The data collection took place in all operational areas during October 2024 with face-to-face interviews conducted Monday to Friday, between 07:00 and 17:00.
In addition to passenger interviews, perspectives were gathered from special-interest groups, including the George Association for Persons with Disabilities, staff of George Link (GO GEORGE’s vehicle-operating company), and passengers residing in Thembalethu where the first route to this area was rolled out late in 2023.
GO GEORGE Manager, Morné Lakay, highlighted the significance of the survey’s user-focused methodology, ensuring accurate insights. “The MTSES 2024 was solely dedicated to studying user satisfaction. No non-users were included in the survey, which was conducted with a sample of 28% of GO GEORGE passengers. This helps us to understand passenger trip characteristics and how passengers plan and execute a trip. We get an indication of passenger perceptions in terms of value for money, cost and affordability. Including, but also ringfencing data obtained from the new Thembalethu passengers provides us with invaluable information as we continue rolling out more routes to this area.”
High scores reflect growing satisfaction
Survey results show strong improvement from 2023, reinforcing GO GEORGE’s commitment to delivering reliable, high-quality public transport. Passengers expressed high satisfaction in key areas, including:
* On-board bus accessibility (96%)
* Safety and security on-board (92%)
* Bus drivers driving safely, responsibly, and professionally (97%)
* Reliability of service (97%)
* Bus stop proximity to destinations (94%)
* No criminal behaviour on buses (93%)
* Passengers saying they are paying less by using GO GEORGE (89%)
Affordability and economic impact
George Executive Mayor, Alderman Jackie von Brandis, welcomed the survey’s findings. “The feedback received by our most important stakeholders, our passengers, is extremely valuable and a true testament to the excellent work done by our GO GEORGE bus service. The prioritisation of investing into our public transport system is an absolute necessity, as shown by the results of this survey. Our passengers identify affordability as the most significant benefit of the GO GEORGE service, which is one of the core tenets of subsidised transport services – GO GEORGE trips included. We provide this service so that no person is forced to turn away a job opportunity because they cannot afford to travel to an interview or place of work. As a matter of fact, the policy of free transfers within one hour is very conservatively estimated to have left at least R 43,3 million in the pockets of our passengers since the inception of the service.”
The mayor also noted the broader socio-economic impact of GO GEORGE, including job creation and skills development: “The most consistent direct benefit of the GO GEORGE service is the revenue earned by local companies and related support industries – important ongoing local economic activities with direct local income generation. The economic impact of our bus service on the entire community is immense, improving their quality of life and employment potential. Along with the employment opportunities, there is an ongoing programme of training and skills development associated with the project, resulting in transferrable formal skills in the labour force. The George Municipality is very proud to be a partner in this uplifting and empowering project,” she said.
Handover of feedback report
As part of a visit to George during their annual Premier’s Cycle Tour this week, Western Cape Minister of Mobility handed over the feedback report of the 2024 survey to WC Premier, Alan Winde. The Premier responded by saying that the findings reflect the growing importance of GO GEORGE.
“GO GEORGE is so much more than just a non-metro bus service; it is also a vital economic enabler, connecting our residents to opportunities. It has positively transformed the local and regional economy, directly impacting on the quality of life of thousands of people, including passengers, employees, businesses and service providers. We take pride in the continuous growth and commitment to service excellence of the GO GEORGE service over the past ten years,” he said.
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Passasiers gee GO GEORGE ‘n 91% tevredenheidsgradering in jongste opname
Die uitslae is in: GO GEORGE het ‘n uitstekende passasierstevredenheidsgradering van 91% behaal. Dit herbevestig die busdiens se rol as ‘n noodsaaklike openbare vervoerdiens wat veiligheid, toeganklikheid, mobiliteit en bekostigbaarheid prioritiseer. Inwoners van George beskou GO GEORGE as meer as net ‘n vervoerstelsel. Hulle sien dit as ‘n drywer van ekonomiese groei, omgewingsvolhoubaarheid en sosiale opheffing in die streek.
Hierdie indrukwekkende gradering spruit uit die 2024 makro-, vervoer- en sosio-ekonomiese studie (MTSES), ‘n jaarlikse passasierstevredenheidsopname wat onder GO GEORGE-gebruikers, spesiale belangegroepe en ander belanghebbendes wat indirek deur die diens geraak word, gedoen is.
‘n Openbare vervoerstelsel wat ekonomiese groei dryf
Die Wes-Kaapse minister van mobiliteit, Isaac Sileku, beklemtoon die verreikende impak van openbare vervoer: “‘n Inklusiewe en goed funksionerende vervoerdiens speel ‘n belangrike rol in ekonomiese ontwikkeling, armoedeverligting, maatskaplike integrasie en werkskepping in gemeenskappe. Ons moet weet of GO GEORGE die kol tref en as ‘n provinsiale vennoot vind ons hierdie opname die optimale hulpmiddel om terugvoer oor passasierservaring rakende stelselbedryf te kry. Die totale-waarde-assesseringsbenadering wat gevolg is om hierdie opname saam te stel, erken die nie-monetêre sowel as monetêre waarde van ‘n openbare vervoerstelsel, wat noodsaaklike inligting verskaf vir die beplanning en aanpassing van die diens om aan ons passasiers se behoeftes te voldoen.”
Passasiersterugvoer en belangrike insigte
Die jaarlikse opname, wat in opdrag van GO GEORGE gedoen is en deur sosio-ekonomiese navorsingspesialiste gedoen is, het ten doel om die makro- en vervoer-ekonomiese impak op die busdiens te bepaal. Die data-insameling het gedurende Oktober 2024 in alle operasionele areas plaasgevind met aangesig-tot-aangesig onderhoude wat Maandag tot Vrydag tussen 07:00 en 17:00 gevoer is.
Benewens passasiersonderhoude is perspektiewe ingesamel van spesiale belangegroepe, insluitend die George Vereniging vir Persone met Gestremdhede, personeel van George Link (GO GEORGE se voertuigbedryfsmaatskappy), en passasiers wat in Thembalethu woon waar die eerste roete na hierdie gebied laat in 2023 uitgerol is.
GO GEORGE-bestuurder, Morné Lakay, het die belangrikheid van die opname se gebruikersgerigte metodologie beklemtoon, wat akkurate insigte verseker. “Die MTSES 2024 was uitsluitlik toegewy aan die bestudering van gebruikerstevredenheid. Geen nie-gebruikers is ingesluit in die opname nie, wat gedoen is met ‘n steekproef van 28% van GO GEORGE-passasiers. Dit help ons om eienskappe van passasiersritte te verstaan en hoe passasiers ‘n rit beplan en uitvoer. Ons kry ‘n aanduiding van passasierspersepsies in terme van waarde vir geld, koste en bekostigbaarheid. Deur data wat van die nuwe Thembalethu-passasiers verkry is in te sluit, maar ook af te baken, het ons waardevolle inligting verkry terwyl ons voortgaan om meer roetes na hierdie gebied uit te rol.”
Hoë tellings weerspieël groeiende tevredenheid
Opnameresultate toon sterk verbetering vanaf 2023, wat GO GEORGE se verbintenis tot die lewering van betroubare openbare vervoer van hoë gehalte versterk. Passasiers het groot tevredenheid uitgespreek op sleutelgebiede, insluitend:
* Toeganklikheid aan boord (96%)
* Veiligheid en sekuriteit aan boord (92%)
* Busbestuurders wat veilig, verantwoordelik en professioneel bestuur (97%)
* Betroubaarheid van diens (97%)
* Bushaltes se nabyheid aan bestemmings (94%)
* Geen kriminele gedrag op busse nie (93%)
* Passasiers wat sê dat hulle minder betaal deur GO GEORGE te gebruik (89%)
Bekostigbaarheid en ekonomiese impak
George se uitvoerende burgemeester, raadsheer Jackie von Brandis, het die bevindinge van die opname verwelkom. “Die terugvoer wat van ons belangrikste belanghebbendes, ons passasiers, ontvang is, is uiters waardevol en ‘n ware bewys van die uitstekende werk wat deur ons GO GEORGE-busdiens gedoen word. Die prioritisering van belegging in ons openbare vervoerstelsel is ‘n absolute noodsaaklikheid, soos blyk uit die resultate van hierdie opname. Ons passasiers identifiseer bekostigbaarheid as die belangrikste voordeel van die GO GEORGE-diens, wat een van die kernbeginsels van gesubsidieerde vervoerdienste is – GO GEORGE-ritte ingesluit. Ons lewer hierdie diens sodat niemand gedwing word om ‘n werksgeleentheid weg te wys omdat hulle nie kan bekostig om na ‘n onderhoud of werkplek te reis nie. Trouens, die beleid van gratis oorklimgeleenthede binne een uur het, baie konserwatief geskat, sedert die aanvang van die diens minstens R43,3 miljoen in die sakke van ons passasiers gelaat.”
Die burgemeester het ook kennis geneem van die breër sosio-ekonomiese impak van GO GEORGE, insluitend werkskepping en vaardigheidsontwikkeling: “Die mees konsekwente direkte voordeel van die GO GEORGE-diens is die inkomste wat deur plaaslike maatskappye en verwante ondersteuningsbedrywe verdien word – belangrike deurlopende plaaslike ekonomiese aktiwiteite met direkte plaaslike inkomstegenerasie. Die ekonomiese impak van ons busdiens op die hele gemeenskap is enorm en verbeter hul lewensgehalte en werkspotensiaal. Saam met die werksgeleenthede is daar ‘n deurlopende program van opleiding en vaardigheidsontwikkeling wat met die projek geassosieer word, wat lei tot oordraagbare formele vaardighede in die arbeidsmag. Die George-munisipaliteit is baie trots om ‘n vennoot in hierdie opbouende en bemagtigende projek te wees,” het sy gesê.
Oorhandiging van terugvoerverslag
As deel van ‘n besoek aan George tydens hul jaarlikse Premiersfietstoer vandeesweek, het die Wes-Kaapse Minister van Mobiliteit die terugvoerverslag van die 2024-opname aan die Wes-Kaapse premier, Alan Winde, oorhandig. Die premier het gereageer deur te sê die bevindings weerspieël die groeiende belangrikheid van GO GEORGE.
“GO GEORGE is soveel meer as net ‘n nie-metro-busdiens; dit is ook ‘n noodsaaklike ekonomiese bemagtiger wat ons inwoners met geleenthede verbind. Dit het die plaaslike en streeksekonomie positief getransformeer, wat die lewenskwaliteit van duisende mense, insluitend passasiers, werknemers, besighede en diensverskaffers, direk beïnvloed. Ons is trots op die voortdurende groei en toewyding tot uitmuntende diens van die GO GEORGE-busdiens oor die afgelope tien jaar,” het hy gesê.
As deel van ‘n besoek aan George tydens hul jaarlikse Premiersfietstoer, het die Wes-Kaapse Minister van Mobiliteit, Isaac Sileku (heel regs) die terugvoerverslag van die 2024-opname aan die premier, Alan Winde (middel), oorhandig. Die twee ywerige fietsryers het gou ‘n bus na Thembaletu gehaal – in hul fietsrydrag, pas van die langpad af – en met talle passasiers by bushaltes en op die bus gesels. George se uitvoerende burgemeester, raadsheer Jackie von Brandis (links), het die rit en oorhandiging saam met die Kaapse afvaardiging meegemaak.
