The wheels on the bus - Despite the many problems in South Africa, the cost of public transport is not high up on the list
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PRINT HEAD: Jozi has something to celebrate — cheap public transport

PRINT BLURB: Analysts studied the price of public transport in 45 major cities around the world and compared these costs with local wages with Joburg 'among the cheapest'

 

Load-shedding, the cost of living, poor service delivery: South Africans have more than enough to feel angry about.

An international survey, however, has revealed that there’s at least one aspect of life in which we’re faring better than other countries, and that is the cost of public transport.

Analysts at Picodi, an international group that helps citizens find ways to cut their living costs, checked the public transport fares in 45 cities worldwide and juxtaposed the transport expenses with local average wages.

“In our study, we took a closer look at single ticket prices, as well as monthly passes, which allow for unlimited travel within the city limits,” said Picodi’s communications team.

With Johannesburg one of the 45 under scrutiny, it was found to be “among the cheaper cities” when it comes to the cost of public transport.

A monthly pass in Jozi costs about R779.60 ($44), which is 3% of the average net wage in that city.

This result is similar to ratios in Amsterdam (2.9%) and Stockholm (3%).

The most expensive single tickets can be found in London, Zurich and Oslo where they cost about $4 to $5.

The highest prices for monthly passes are paid by citizens of London ($271), Dublin ($166) and New York ($127).

In three out of 45 cities, public transport is free for citizens — Luxembourg, Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, and Valletta, the capital of Malta.

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