Golden Arrow Bus Services to raise fares from next Monday

Commuters will have to fork out more as Golden Arrow Bus Services has announced a fare increase from next Monday. 

While most weekly tickets have stayed under R250, most monthly fares have hit the R1 000 mark. 

Golden Arrow spokesperson, Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said it remains mindful of the financial challenges faced by passengers. 

“In recent years, we have made a concerted effort to delay annual fare increases beyond the customary December period. For example, instead of implementing a fare increase in December 2023, we absorbed the rising costs until April 2024, and we again deferred the December 2024 increase.”

Dyke-Beyer added that the interim contract the bus service had with the Western Cape Government provides for fare adjustments to rising operational costs. 

Dyke-Beyer explained: “However, due to continued and widespread increases in operating costs across the supply chain, we are no longer able to delay further. As a result, fares will increase by an average of 4 percent, effective August 11, 2025.

She said this increase is essential to maintain Golden Arrow’s sustainability and continuity of its services. 

Passengers have been urged to make use of the Gold Card, which enables them to access discounted fare options. 

For a full list of revised fares, members of the public are urged to contact the Transport Information Centre at 0800 65 64 63.

Meanwhile, commuters scored a small victory as the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) was forced to make significant changes to its fare structure in response to intense objections from trade unions, commuter groups, and civil society organisations, just before their planned August fare increase.

This follows days of escalating pressure, with the United Commuters Voice (UCV) announcing that the new fares will now offer more affordable rates for working-class commuters, ensuring better access to public transport.

The new structure, which kicked in on Friday, includes lower monthly ticket increases than those originally communicated, and 50% discounts for school children (all times) and military veterans, and senior citizens on off-peak times.

Cape Times