From this week, GO GEORGE passengers travelling to and from Loerie Park should have no problem finding room on a bus during afternoon peak.
From Monday, 12 March 2018, Route 24 CBD – Loerie Park – Garden Route Mall will be serviced by bigger buses between 12:30 and 15:45 on weekdays. This change is in response to afternoon capacity problems experienced at stops in Loerie Park and Bergsig.
According to Morné Lakay, GO GEORGE Assistant Manager, the travelling patterns of passengers from the Garden Route Mall to the CBD has been impacting heavily on the capacity in Loerie Park ever since the route had been changed to include a stop at the Mall. "We were hoping that more Mall passengers would use the Rosemoor buses to get to the CBD, or better still, the direct Route 7. But despite attempts and requests to leave capacity on Route 24 for the passengers boarding in Loerie Park and Bergsig, we did not get sufficient cooperation," he said.
Due to passenger volumes at different times of the day, Route 24 has up to now been serviced by minibuses mainly, with only three morning peak trips using the bigger midibus. The minibus carries 13 seated passengers, while the midibus accommodates 40 seated and 38 standing passengers, and the standard bus 44 seated and 40 standing passengers.
"Following proper surveillance and planning, we believe that the deployment of standard and midibuses between 12:30 and 15:45 on weekdays will provide enough capacity for school children, domestic workers and health care staff needing transport during this time of day," said Lakay.
For any enquiries about bus routes and schedules, phone the GO GEORGE Call Centre on 0800 044 044 between 05:00 and 21:30 daily.