Cape Town – Golden Arrow Bus Service commuters on the Kenridge to Cape Town route have called for more passengers to utilise the service after being given three months to increase capacity before it stops operating due to it not being viable.
Last year, Golden Arrow indicated the route would be cancelled effective May 30, 2022, due to the low number of commuters.
Commuters then launched a petition to have this route re-established, citing the high demand of passengers requiring public service transportation from the area and petrol price increases.
Bronwyn Dyke-Beyer, Golden Arrow spokesperson, said in 2022 they undertook a comprehensive audit in order to identify any offerings that were not being well utilised.
"The audit was used to identify services that do not have sustainable ridership figures, and these were removed from our service offering,“ she said.
“The Kenridge service had very low ridership figures and was therefore cancelled.
She said during peak travel hours there was a greater demand for services than what their fleet of buses could accommodate. This meant that they did not have spare capacity to allocate additional buses.
Dyke-Beyer further said there were other areas which had a great demand but they could not cater for it.
“Having received a petition that stated that more than 60 people wanted to make use of the cancelled service, two weeks ago we reinstated the service on a three-month trial basis,” she explained.
“During this time, the maximum number of passengers making use of the service had been 20.
“For perspective, a bus can carry approximately 100 passengers.”
She said they understood and empathised with the passengers who were affected by the cancellation.
"We also cannot make exceptions for some areas and not for others,“ she added.
Ray Kriel, one of the commuters, said he had been using the route for over seven years.
During the lockdown, the numbers dwindled because passengers were working from home.
"Some passengers returned to work part time, but some had to move because their employers downsized and moved out of town,“ he said
“This led to a low turnout for our once bustling, well-filled, beloved bus.”
He said the route had become the lifeblood of many commuters in the Welgemoed, Plattekloof, Panorama, Plattekloof Glen and Monte Vista suburbs who worked in town.
"No other Golden Arrow, MyCiti, or other public transport bound for the city covers this area,“ Kriel said.
“Every year, learners complete matric and want to embark on studying at one of the many tertiary institutions scattered across various areas of Cape Town.”
Kriel said they were more than just passengers and had built a bond like family and stuck together whether there were good or bad conversations.