New MyCiTi fare system offers substantial savings

Until now, MyCiTi has had a “flat fare” system with set fares charged on routes, whether you were travelling the whole way or for just a few stops.
 
A new distance-based fare system has now been implemented that will calculate your fare from where you first tap in, when entering a MyCiTi bus or station, to where you tap out at your final destination.
 
The system calculates which distance band your journey falls into and deducts the correct fare from your myconnect card. This is good news for people travelling shorter distances, such as from the Civic Centre to Paarden Eiland, because the cost of their journey will be lower.
 
This will be a permanent system, replacing the interim system that was in place up till now. Key features of the new system are that cheaper fares will be available outside the Peak fare periods of 06:30 and 08:30 in the mornings and 16:00 and 18:00 in the afternoons on weekdays. For all other times of the day on weekdays, and all day on weekends and public holidays, fares will be on average 17% lower than Peak fares, which we call the Saver fare period.
 
There will also be 20% discounts during the Peak and Saver periods for frequent travellers who load pre-paid travel packages onto their myconnect cards, called ‘Mover’ packages. The aim is that it will become the norm for MyCiTi passengers to buy Mover packages and benefit from the savings.
 
The two main principles behind the new system are that the fares should be comparable to those charged by other bus services and the minibus-taxi industry, and that they must minimise the cost deficit of the system.
 
“It has been a challenge, but we think the new system strikes the balance between these two principles,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, Councillor Brett Herron.
 
“We have done this by giving benefits to regular users and to off-peak travel, to encourage the most efficient use possible of the MyCiTi fleet.
 
“We believe the large majority of MyCiTi passengers will buy the Mover packages, which gives them a double saving. There is no 2,5% load fee, or the R1,50 minimum, charged on these packages. On top of that, there will be substantial discounts on fares if these packages are used instead of loading cash onto the cards.
 
“Most passengers will end up paying less than they now pay on the MyCiTi service, even though the new system will kick in after another increase in the petrol price,” said Councillor Herron.
 
The Mover purchases expire after only three years, so even infrequent MyCiTi travellers can benefit. Mover packages will initially only be available from station kiosks and not at MyCiTi retailers that offer card sales and top-up facilities.