Over R1-billion needed to keep Gautrain on track

The Gauteng government will be spending more than R1.5-billion in this financial year alone to keep Gautrain on track.

The subsidy is to help the operator as it continues to lose passengers.

Income from passengers has so far failed to cover operating costs.

One expert believes Metrorail and Gautrain should be working as a single entity.
Passenger numbers are declining for various reasons. Commuters are not willing to tolerate traffic congestion anymore. It’s worse during the morning rush hour and commuters are left behind because the platforms are packed.

Gautrain wanted to procure new trains in 2018, but none of the tenders submitted were adequate. The process now has to start all over again, which means Gautrain won’t get new trains for the next two years.

Whittles also explained that Gautrain services would be cheaper in four years when the concession costs fall away. Today, however, taxpayers are still paying around R100m per month as agreed by the government. Bad news: that figure will continue to increase.

Source: eNCA