Golden Arrow Bus Service (GABS) has announced an increase in fares for passengers who pay with cash. This change will take effect on September 28.
The increase will only affect cash fares, rising by 4.5%, while tickets purchased with the Gold Card, which allows for multiple trips, will remain unchanged. Golden Arrow General Manager, Derrick Meyer, explained that most peak hour fares are protected from this increase.
Meyer stated that the fare adjustment will primarily apply to off-peak cash fares, and the increase will only affect certain selected peak hour fares. He emphasized that pre-purchased Gold Card tickets will retain their original cost.
According to Meyer, GABS intentionally limited the adjustment to select cash fares to minimize the negative impact on passengers, especially those who regularly use public transport during peak hours for commuting to work, school, and other daily duties.
He explained that this measure was adopted following a prolonged rise in the operating costs of bus services, including expenses for fuel, maintenance, spare parts, tires, and labor. Meyer noted that GABS has absorbed a significant portion of these increases and opted for targeted fare adjustments instead of a general price hike.
Passengers are advised to consider purchasing multi-trip tickets, which may include discounts of up to 45%. These tickets are loaded onto the Golden Arrow Gold Card, which costs 40 Rands upfront. The Easy ticket service allows travel on almost all routes using one multi-trip ticket: it costs 134 Rands for five trips, 248.50 Rands for 10 trips, and 1093 Rands for 48 trips.
Meyer concluded the statement by affirming GABS's commitment to ensuring public transport accessibility while guaranteeing the long-term sustainability of services. Specific fare information will be available at the Transport Information Center at 0800 65 64 63 starting September 23, 2026.