GO GEORGE survey to measure economic impact of bus service

Published: Tue, 12 Oct 2021

Surveyors approaching individuals or visiting households in the George area will carry identification cards. Here Siphiwo Mathys is working through a questionnaire with Patience Tisani, a passenger residing in Thembalethu.

An independent study under the joint auspices of the Western Cape Government Department of Transport and Public Works and the Municipality of George will be launched next week, aiming to determine and measure the overall economic impact of the implementation of the GO GEORGE bus service in George.

The 2021 George Integrated Public Transport Network (GIPTN) Macro-, Transport- and Socio-Economic Study (MTSES) will be carried out from October 2021 until May 2022 in George.

Macro-, transport- and socio-economic impact measured

The overall impact will be measured in three main areas, namely macro-economic, transport-economic and socio-economic impact. Several surveys will be carried out over a two-month period, starting on 18 October 2021 and ending towards middle December 2021.

George residents will be approached for feedback by means of the following four surveys:

• Passenger travel surveys, which will be carried out at GO GEORGE bus stops across the route network;
• Household surveys, which will be carried out door-to-door at individual households across various suburbs in George, Wilderness and surrounding areas;
• Business surveys (e.g. general businesses, GIPTN service providers as well as businesses at transfer locations around the greater CBD) which will be carried out primarily through telephonic and personal interviews;
• Special Interest Group surveys (e.g. users with special needs and specific-interest groups), to be carried out primarily through telephonic and personal interviews as well as distribution of electronic questionnaires.

Surveyors easy to identify

Surveyors will be wearing GO GEORGE-branded identification cards showing the person’s photo and ID number. An appeal is made to the George community to take five minutes out when they are approached and to assist with the valuable feedback only obtainable from those who use the bus service, or are in some way impacted by its operations.

Data obtained through the surveys will be captured and analysed starting around middle November 2021, to be carried out until April 2022, with final results, conclusions and reporting to be completed at the end of May 2022.

For more information or enquiries, the GO GEORGE Call Centre can be phoned on 0800 044 044.