The George Municipality has announced the annual increase in the GO GEORGE bus fares from 1 July 2023. 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 only 90c per trip to R11.90 and bundles of less than 10 trips will cost R13.20 per trip (95c more than before). The price of single trips increases with R1 to R16 to encourage passengers to rather load the multiple, cheaper trips 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, R180 per month in travel expense compared to the same number of single trips.
Free trips for first-time card buyers
The cost of the Smart Card is R27 for first-time buyers, including two free, preloaded trips when they present a valid form of identification. New and replacement cards cost R35. 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.
Work around loadshedding
To curb the impact of loadshedding, passengers are advised to top up their Smart Cards when they are near operational top-up points, before they run out of trips. Top-up vendors often experience battery problems with their card devices during loadshedding.
For more information, please call the GO GEORGE Call Centre at 0800 044 044, or send an email to info@gogeorge.org.za.
Munisipaliteit kondig GO GEORGE-tariefverhoging aan
Die George-munisipaliteit het die jaarlikse verhoging van die GO GEORGE-bustariewe vanaf 1 Julie 2023 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 90c per rit verhoog na R11.90 en bondels van minder as 10 ritte sal R13.20 per rit kos (’n 95c-verhoging). Die prys van enkelritte verhoog met R1 na R16 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, R180 per maand in vervoeruitgawes spaar, vergeleke met enkelritte wat op die kaart gelaai word.
Gratis ritte vir eerstekaartkopers
Die prys van die Slimkaart is R27 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 en vervangingskaarte kos R35. 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.
Werk om beurtkrag
Om die impak van beurtkrag te bekamp, word passasiers aangeraai om hul slimkaarte te herlaai wanneer hulle naby werkende herlaaipunte is, voordat hul ritte opraak. Besighede wat ritte herlaai ervaar dikwels batteryprobleme met hul kaarttoestelle tydens beurtkrag.
Vir meer inligting, skakel gerus die GO GEORGE-inbelsentrum by 0800 044 044, of stuur ’n e-pos na info@gogeorge.org.za.
Stage 3 loadshedding will be implemented from 16:00 until midnight. Thereafter, Stage 1 loadshedding will be implemented from 05:00 until 16:00 on Saturday, followed by Stage 4 loadshedding until midnight. This pattern will be repeated on Sunday. Eskom will publish another update should any significant changes occur.
