From Pretoria by Gautrain

There are plenty of options to get from Pretoria to Joburg first thing in the morning – some faster than others, some cheaper than others.
TRANSPORT Month is arguably about testing the efficacy of public transport, but for many daily commuters it is just business as usual.

The Gautrain leaves Pretoria for JoburgThe Gautrain leaves Pretoria for JoburgSo I decided not to stick to my mundane travelling regimen; instead, I opted to find out how efficient it is to travel between South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, and its economic epicentre, Johannesburg, using public transport – as thousands of commuters do daily.

On that morning, the sun was friendly, shining cheerfully above the horizon. Traffic on the capital’s roads was gridlocked at major intersections, as everyone went about their daily business.

My options were the Gautrain, which costs about R43 for a single trip from Pretoria to Rosebank, or a taxi from the Bosman Taxi Rank and Mall opposite the Gautrain station, which costs R30, or a Metrorail train, which costs R19 for a return ticket but takes three hours and 40 minutes for a round trip.

There were other choices: a taxi from Marabastad at the Belle Ombre Plaza costs R25 to Rosebank and about R23 to Sandton.

But the Gautrain has supplementary services: park and ride facilities, a dedicated bus system, car rentals and a retail kiosk at all stations except OR Tambo, including other state-of-the-art amenities. Given all this, my choice was expedient – I chose convenience over price and consistent service over haste or apathy.

The journey
The journey only takes 35 minutesThe journey only takes 35 minutesI preload my Gautrain gold card with the fare and go catch a train. “Welcome on board the Gautrain,” announces the automated voice operator as I enter through the electronic glass doors. It also announces the timetable.

Inside the station, security is watchful and the staff friendly and helpful. There is ample parking and shuttle buses drop people off at frequent intervals. Before boarding, I enjoy the unbroken view of one of the world’s mega universities, Unisa, situated on a plateau in the leafy suburb of Muckleneuk, just across from the station.

It is a commuter friendly place: train platforms are level with the train, giving easy access to disabled passengers, and automated information screens write messages in Tswana, English, Afrikaans and Zulu.

Opened barely three months ago, Gautrain’s northern link between Pretoria and Johannesburg is already characterised by the hurly-burly of daily commuting on public transport – about 28 000 people use this network each day.

The ride
I catch the four-car Gautrain from Pretoria to Rosebank at Platform B, around 8.07am. The train departs punctually, gradually increasing speed, its propulsive force reverberating around my chest. The ride is free from obtrusion.

The Rosebank StationThe Rosebank StationOur first stop is Centurion, with its scenic landscapes. The stop is for just 15 seconds, before the train departs promptly, announcing its next stop as Midrand. This segment of the trip takes about nine minutes.

From Centurion to Marlboro, the journey is above ground, riding across, through and past a network of arterial thoroughfares. I marvel at the bird’s eye view of elongated fields, buildings, grandiose properties and a mosque.

Inside the train, a woman reads her iPad; a man talks loudly on his cellphone in Tsonga, another speaks on his phone in Portuguese. One passenger reads a newspaper; behind me, I can hear music blaring from earphones.

The train is full. A family of six is seated next to the window, chattering. One man prefers to stand. The entire trip takes about 35 minutes, between Pretoria and Rosebank.

On a traffic-free day, a taxi travelling from the Bosman Taxi Rank into the Johannesburg city centre via Hillbrow, Parktown or Braamfontein would have taken about 30 minutes, thanks largely to the R25-billion-plus Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, which started in 2008 and is nearing completion. But traffic-free travel is not guaranteed.

Freeway improvement
As part of the project, about 125,5 kilometres of road in Gauteng have been overhauled, including those in Nasrec that link the N17 and northern Soweto, the N1 ring road around Johannesburg to the Golden Highway and the N1 from the Albertina Sisulu Freeway split to the Buccleuch interchange.

The Ben Schoeman Highway on the N1 northbound now alternates as a five and six lane carriageway. Additional lanes have been added to busy freeways, interchanges have been improved and intelligent transport management systems, including cameras, ramp metering, electronic toll gantries and electronic signage have been installed.

The project is aimed at expanding existing roads and freeways and building new ones in an attempt to create a seamless connection between economic nodes and public transport corridors.

October is Transport Month and the City’s emphasis is on the promotion of public transport as the preferred method of travelling. As part of the campaign, the City has also placed its Integrated Transport Plan under review to align it with the current needs of its residents. The plan envisages providing an affordable, convenient and easily accessible public transport system.