Buy before tariff increase and save
Buying bulk is the smart choice when you top up your Smart Card with bus trips – it’s much cheaper and also more convenient. Top up before you have completely run out of trips, and do so when you’re not in a rush to get to work or school.
This is the core message conveyed by GO GEORGE in the period running up to the annual tariff increase this weekend, on Saturday 1 July 2023.
Cheaper the more you buy
From 1 July, Smart Card trips bought in bundles of 10 or more will cost R11.90 per trip and remain the best buy. Bundles of two to eight trips will cost R13.20 per trip, and single trips will cost R16. A passenger who uses the bus five days per week could save up to R180 per month by buying bundles of 10 trips and more, instead of loading one trip at a time.
Buy before tariff increase and save
Trips on the Smart Card never expire, so there is no risk of losing trips, even if you don’t travel regularly. For the same reason, it is a smart move to load more trips before the tariff increase kicks in, but passengers are advised to treat their Smart Cards as cautiously as they would treat cash, since trips on a lost or stolen card cannot be refunded.
Top up in time
Passengers are advised not to wait until they have no trips left, and to always keep at least two emergency trips on their Smart Cards. Having to top up on your way to work or school could be frustrating when the queues are long, or when vendors experience connectivity issues due to loadshedding. It would be better to top up outside of peak times, and at a time when you’re in no rush to be somewhere on time. You can top up at any of the Smart Card kiosks and mobile kiosks, as well as 105 top-up vendors all over town. Look out for the GO GEORGE vendor signage, “TOP UP YOUR SMART CARD HERE”, or for a detailed list of all top-up vendors, visit the Travel Cost page. Alternatively, phone the Call Centre on 0800 044 044 where agents are on duty from 05:00 until 20:00, seven days a week. Enquiries can also be e-mailed to info@gogeorge.org.za.
