The sun had yet to rise when the first Gautrain departed from Hatfield station on Tuesday to commuters’ loud cheers and applause.
The train pulled out promptly at 5.30am under the watchful eye of Gauteng MEC for Transport Ismail Vadi who was at the station to see that everything ran according to plan and greet the early birds, of whom there were many.
By the time the parking garage opened at 5.10am there was already a queue of motorists.
Markus Haywood and Charles van der Wath were among the first passengers to board the multibillion-rand train and the excitement was evident on their faces as they took their seats.
Commuters were in a jolly mood as they chattered and exchanged views on the train and more than a few looked rather smug as they looked out the window at the congested highway.
“I’m very excited. I decided to leave my car behind and test the train today and see how it goes. I have been impressed,” said Haywood.
Van der Wath shared the same sentiments and said he had lived in Europe and had used reliable public transport.
“I used public transport there for over two years. I have been waiting for this for a very long time and now it has finally arrived.”
Haywood said he normally leaves his home in Faerie Glen around 5.30am and arrives at his work in Midrand about 6.30am. Contacted at the office, Haywood said the train and its feeder buses had cut his travel by 20 minutes.
“The trip was excellent, very organised and very relaxing. I will most definitely use the train from now on. The pricing is acceptable though not cheap,” said Haywood.
Van der Wath said the only problem he had with the system was that passengers had to wait for Gautrain buses at the Midrand station.
“The buses are not synchronised with the train. I think if they can fix that problem, they will have created the perfect public transport system. Other than that, it was a great ride,” said Van der Wath.
Mpho Molathle, who lives in Soshanguve, took the train to the Sandton station said he was impressed with how fast the trip was.
He said he was normally stuck in traffic for about two hours but on Tuesday it only took him 30 minutes to get to work from Hatfield station. He added that the train and its feeder buses were turning the daily commute into a breeze.
“There are no queues and time is not wasted in traffic. You get the chance to catch up on some reading and you can even do some work as you are heading to work.
“You don’t worry about getting to work exhausted from all the driving nor do you worry about being late,” he said.
Speaking to Sapa from the Joburg side, commuter Gloria Maaka-Tlokana said she’d been driving from Randburg to her job at the Education Department in Pretoria and back for the past 11 years and it had made her life “miserable”.
But on Tuesday she took the Gautrain from Sandton station and, including bus trips on either end, it had taken an hour to get to work.
“And to think, it took me an hour just to leave Pretoria the other day,” she said. - Pretoria News