Cape Town commuters using Golden Arrow and MyCiTi buses will not face another immediate fare increase following today’s sharp rise in fuel prices.

Petrol is now more than R3 a litre more expensive, while diesel has increased by up to R3.24 a litre.

Also read: Calls for reinstatement of fuel levy relief

Despite the increase, Golden Arrow says it has worked to protect commuters from the immediate impact of higher fuel costs.

Golden Arrow spokesperson Bronwen Dyke Beyer says the rising cost of diesel is putting significant pressure on the company’s operating expenses.

“Given the scale of the annual diesel consumption, even relatively small increases in the price per litre have a significant impact on our operating cost. The continued escalation in fuel cost means that we cannot rule out the need to review fares in the coming months, but any such decisions will take into account the sustainability of the service and the impact on passengers.”

MyCiTi fares will also remain unchanged for now.

Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility Rob Quintas says the City’s fare adjustment system does not immediately respond to a single increase in fuel prices.

“The City shields passengers from fuel price shocks as far as possible. MyCiTi’s fare adjustment mechanism does not respond to a single month’s movement in the fuel price. An increase is only triggered if the fuel price reaches the next fare level for two out of three months, or for two consecutive months. Where an adjustment is triggered, new fares are implemented from the first Saturday of the following month.”

Meanwhile, the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) says discussions are still underway on how the taxi industry will respond to the latest fuel price increase.