Multi-journey top-ups on Smart Card much cheaper

GEORGE NEWS - Buying bulk is the smart choice when you top up your Smart Card with bus trips – it's much cheaper and 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 on 1 July.

Cheaper the more you buy

Smart Card trips bought in bundles of 10 or more cost R11 per trip and remain the best buy. Bundles of two to eight trips cost R12,25 per trip, and single trips cost R15.

A passenger who uses the bus five days per week, could save up to R176 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 keep their Smart Cards safe, 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 an unpredictable event such as unstable internet connectivity prevents the vendor or kiosk from selling trips at the time.

It would be better to top up outside of peak times, and at a time when you're in no rush.

Smart Card kiosks are open from 05:00 until 20:00 and are situated at the George Transport Hub in Cradock Street, at the Blanco Triangle, and at the Garden Route Mall. A dedicated Go George counter has been set up in the municipality's finance hall to serve passengers' needs during municipal business hours, while a new fixed kiosk is being established in York Street.

The kiosks sell Smart Cards as well as trip top-ups.

The top-up vendors all over town do top-ups only. Look out for the Go George vendor signage, or, to get a detailed list of all top-up vendors, visit the Go George Facebook page or phone the call centre on 0800 044 044.