Capetonian Laura Yeatman, knowing that air travel contributes to greenhouse gases, thought she would reduce her carbon footprint when she flew to Joburg by taking only public transport to and from the airport.
Also, since the authorities have put so much effort and money into the MyCiTi and Gautrain transport systems she felt the public should use them.
Her verdict? It was an “interesting and fun experience”, but time-consuming.
While the MyCiTi bus in Cape Town and the Gautrain in Joburg are excellent in getting passengers to and from airports, there is no quick and easy public transport to and from the suburbs to connect with either of these.
And there is inadequate signage about them at either airport.
Yeatman left her house in Kalk Bay at 6.45am and caught a Metrorail train, which was late, at 7.10am.
Her ticket cost R10 and she got to the city at 8.05am. A taxi would have cost her R350 from home to the airport.
“At Cape Town station there are no signs telling you where to get the MyCiTi airport bus, but I had read about it so knew it left from the Civic Centre.
“Many people, especially visitors, would not know that.”
She walked to the MyCiTi bus stop and caught the next available bus at 8.20am.
“It was fabulous. It costs R50 and whips you through the traffic and drops you right outside the departure hall. But there was only one other person on the bus.”
She got to Cape Town International at 8.45am. “I needed to be there only at 9.15am, an hour before my 10.15 flight, but as I did not know how long public transport would take, I gave myself extra time.”
At OR Tambo airport in Joburg, she took the 1pm Gautrain to the terminus in Sandton. It cost R100 and got there at 1.15pm. From Sandton, the public transport journey to her destination in Westdene was difficult. Most Gautrain passengers were collected by people in cars.
“A man in a sedan taxi offered to take me there for R220. I turned it down because I know a taxi from the airport costs between R180 and R300.”
Then she found out that the Gautrain provided a bus service to Rosebank every 20 minutes for about R10, so she took the next one at 1.40pm.
She was the only passenger on the Gautrain bus.
“I asked the bus driver if there were any minibus taxis that went to Westdene and he dropped me off on Oxford Road.
“I walked to where a man was washing his taxi and told him where I wanted to go, and we flagged down a minibus that took me to the Bree Street taxi rank for R7.50.”
The taxi rank was enormous - with no signs at all - but with the help of other commuters she was directed to a taxi that would take her to Westdene for R8.50. It dropped her off about 300m from her destination at 2.45pm.
“Everyone on the minibuses was helpful - after they’d got over me clunking them on the head with my luggage. It was fun, but not ideal with luggage.
“I’m glad I did it by public transport, but it does take much longer than by car and, because signage is inadequate, you have to ask people’s advice all the way or you would never know where to go.”
“I also think the minibus taxis should be included in the transport system to connect people with the suburbs. The taxis are a really efficient form of transport.”
The trip from Kalk Bay to the airport on a Metrorail train and a MyCiTi bus took an hour and 50 minutes and cost R60.
The trip from OR Tambo to Westdene on the Gautrain, a bus and two minibus taxis took her one hour and 45 minutes and cost R126. - Cape Times