Almost nine years after the first four routes were rolled out to Rosemoor, Denneoord, Loerie Park and the Garden Route Mall with a fleet of 12 buses, the GO GEORGE bus service now transports 18 956 passengers (as of the end of August) per weekday with a fleet of 133 buses. This is 3 000 more daily passengers than the same time last year.
Statistics tell the story
Over the past year, from September 2022 until August 2023, GO GEORGE buses conveyed 5 383 662 passengers – an increase of almost one million passengers over the past year.
Having started out with 12 buses in December 2014, the GO GEORGE fleet currently consists of 65 standard buses, 33 midibuses and 35 minibuses. This includes buses acquired for the roll-out to Thembalethu which is in the process of being finalised.
The road network coverage on the current 33 routes is 142 kilometres, with the expansion to Thembalethu adding another 30 kilometres. This is the total length of the roads travelled on by GO GEORGE buses.
Road upgrades are continuously being done on roads all over town as funding allows. This includes roads currently being used to provide the public transport service as well as roads that will be needed for the service in future.
Celebrating National Transport Month in October, GO GEORGE Acting Manager, Morné Lakay, expressed his gratitude for the positive results reflected by the latest statistics. “It is clear that the community benefits from the scheduled public transport service and increasingly uses this convenient and affordable way of travelling to work, school and wherever they need to go,” he said.
“We constantly assess feedback from our passengers to keep improving the service, and of course, we also need to keep up with development all over town – be that new nodes of business activity or residential expansion. Our mandate is to provide the George community with a first-class public transport service that is reliable, affordable, safe, convenient and accessible, and contributes to a better quality of life for all, and that is exactly what we strive to do.”
Transport Month activities
GO GEORGE has exciting activities planned to highlight various aspects of the bus service during Transport Month. These will include an outdoor radio broadcast at the Transport Hub, school visits with a drama group and surprise give-aways on randomly selected buses.
For any information about the bus service such as routes and timetables, or where to buy a Smart card and trips, the GO GEORGE Call Centre is active from 05:00 until 20:00, seven days a week, and can be phoned toll free on 0800 044 044. The website www.gogeorge.org.za offers detailed information, including downloadable timetables and route maps, while the GO GEORGE Facebook page provides in-time service notifications and handy tips about using the service.
CAPTION: GO GEORGE has become a way of life for thousands of George residents with almost 19 000 passengers using the bus service on weekdays.
GO GEORGE-groei oortref verwagtinge
Byna nege jaar nadat die eerste vier roetes met ‘n vloot van 12 busse na Rosemoor, Denneoord, Loeriepark en die Garden Route Mall uitgerol is, vervoer die GO GEORGE-busdiens nou 18 956 passasiers (soos aan die einde van Augustus) per weeksdag met ‘n vloot van 133 busse. Dit is 3 000 meer daaglikse passasiers as dieselfde tyd verlede jaar.
Statistieke vertel die storie
Oor die afgelope jaar, van September 2022 tot Augustus 2023, het GO GEORGE-busse 5 383 662 passasiers vervoer – ‘n toename van byna een miljoen passasiers die afgelope jaar.
Die GO GEORGE-vloot het in Desember 2014 met 12 busse begin en bestaan tans uit 65 standaardbusse, 33 midibusse en 35 minibusse. Dit sluit busse in wat aangeskaf is vir die uitrol na Thembalethu wat in die proses van finalisering is. .
Die padnetwerkdekking op die huidige 33 roetes is 142 kilometer, met die uitbreiding na Thembalethu wat nog 30 kilometer byvoeg. Dit is die totale afstand van die paaie waarop GO GEORGE-busse ry.
Padopgraderings word deurlopend op paaie regoor die dorp gedoen soos befondsing dit toelaat. Dit sluit paaie in wat tans gebruik word om die openbare vervoerdiens te lewer, asook paaie wat in die toekoms vir die diens benodig sal word.
Terwyl Nasionale Vervoermaand in Oktober gevier word, het GO GEORGE se waarnemende bestuurder, Morné Lakay, sy dankbaarheid uitgespreek vir die positiewe resultate wat deur die jongste statistieke weerspieël word. “Dit is duidelik dat die gemeenskap baat by die geskeduleerde openbare vervoerdiens en toenemend hierdie gerieflike en bekostigbare vervoer gebruik om werk toe en skool toe te ry, en waarheen hulle ook al moet gaan,” het hy gesê.
“Ons evalueer voortdurend terugvoer van ons passasiers om die diens te bly verbeter, en natuurlik moet ons ook tred hou met ontwikkeling regoor die dorp – of dit nou nuwe nodusse van sakebedrywighede of residensiële uitbreiding is. Ons mandaat is om die George-gemeenskap van ‘n eersteklas openbare vervoerdiens te voorsien wat betroubaar, bekostigbaar, veilig, gerieflik en toeganklik is, en bydra tot ‘n beter lewensgehalte vir almal, en dit is presies wat ons streef om te doen.”
Vervoermaandaktiwiteite
GO GEORGE beplan opwindende aktiwiteite om verskeie aspekte van die busdiens gedurende Vervoermaand uit te lig. Dit sluit in ‘n buitelugradio-uitsending by die vervoerkern in Cradockstraat (Transport Hub), skoolbesoeke met ‘n dramagroep en verrassingspakkies wat op lukraak geselekteerde busse uitgedeel sal word.
Vir enige inligting oor die busdiens soos roetes en roosters, of waar om ‘n Slimkaart en ritte te koop, kan die GO GEORGE-inbelsentrum van 05:00 tot 20:00, sewe dae per week, op die tolvrye nommer 0800 044 044 geskakel word. Die webwerf www.gogeorge.org.za bied gedetailleerde inligting, insluitend aflaaibare roosters en roetekaarte, terwyl die GO GEORGE Facebook-blad onmiddellike dienskennisgewings en handige wenke oor die gebruik van die diens verskaf.
BYSKRIF: GO GEORGE het ‘n lewenswyse geword vir duisende inwoners van George met byna 19 000 passasiers wat die busdiens op weeksdae gebruik.
