It would cost commuters R49 to travel on the Gautrain between the Hatfield station, in Pretoria, and Park station, in central Johannesburg.

This was the longest possible trip on the 80 km rapid-rail system, set to become operational on July 1.

However, should a Gautrain user buy a weekly ticket, the price for the same trip would drop to R43, decreasing further to R39 with the use of a monthly ticket.

The monthly ticket would only be activated on first use, and would be valid for five weeks.

The R49 was significantly up from the R20 anticipated when the system had been conceived in the early 2000s.

Announcing the fares in Sandton, Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi said on Wednesday these prices compared favourably with the cost of a single trip between Hatfield and Johannesburg using a 1,6 l car, at R61.

That price excluded the toll fees to be levied on the freeway between the two cities later this year. This cost comparison was also valid for fuel and tyres only, and excluded depreciation, maintenance and parking costs.

Vadi emphasised that the fares were calculated in such a manner as to be affordable to commuters, with “the price attractive enough” to shift people from their cars to public transport.

Vadi added that it was expected that the majority of Gautrain users would make use of monthly tickets.

BUS AND PARKING FEES

Using the Gautrain bus system would cost R6 a trip for commuters using the Gautrain, and R20 for other users.

Parking fees at stations would be R10 a day if the Gautrain was used, and R80 a day if the train was not used.

This meant that travelling between Johannesburg and Pretoria on a monthly ticket, parking at one end, and making use of the bus on the other end, should cost just under R2 100.

The train would operate from 05:30 to 20:30, which meant it would be used mostly for business purposes, and not an evening out on the town.

The system was expected to carry 110 000 passengers a day between Pretoria and Johannesburg.

Vadi also announced that the fare for a trip between the OR Tambo International Airport station and Sandton station, which was currently R100, would increase to R105 from June 1. This portion of the Gautrain route had been operational since June 2010.

The fare to the airport from the Park, Rosebank and Midrand stations would be R115, and R125 from the Centurion, Pretoria and Hatfield stations.

All fares would be subject to annual increases, to be linked to consumer inflation.

Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) CEO Jack van der Merwe noted on Wednesday that he was not so much selling train tickets, but rather a saving in the time it took to commute between Johannesburg and Pretoria. He said the Gautrain was able to offer predictable travelling times between destinations, regardless of weather, accidents or traffic.

He noted that between 80% and 90% of the rail system’s customers were expected to be car owners.

He added that the buses, currently only 20% utilised on the airport-Sandton link, at 1 400 passengers a day, were expected to fill up as the commuter line became operational.

Van der Merwe also noted that the GMA was in negotiations with the Gautrain operator, Bombela, to extend the operating hours.

Bombela spokesperson Errol Braithwaite said Bombela was mulling longer operating hours, but that any extensions were unlikely to happen this year.

“Our focus is to operate the system according to our contractual obligations. Once we have done this, we will look at system enhancements, such as longer operating hours.”