Is Metrorail benefiting from the strikes?

We all have a right to strike, but does it follow that others should pay more while we strike? If so then Cape Metrorail is within its bounds, but if not I’d like some answers. A notice appeared on the heavily protected windows of the wildly confusing and inarticulate Metrorail ticket sellers last Monday (3rd). It informed us all that there would be strikes this week (10th – 16th) and so Metrorail passengers would not be able to buy their monthly passes, but would have to make alternative arrangements (either buy weeklies, or take other transport).

Thanks for letting us know we thought. How considerate. A whole week to plan alternative arrangements. Except that Metrorail is not on strike this week (though the ticket sellers remain confused, rude and have no explanation for this). You might be thinking that I should be relieved — I can take my usual train to work and there should be no problem. But consider this.

Last Monday when many Metrorail passengers went to buy their monthly ticket they could not. So they purchased a weekly. A monthly ticket on my portion of the line costs R168 return. A weekly ticket costs R56 return.

So instead of receiving R168 from all its passengers for the month, Metrorail will be receiving R224 per passenger. They have successfully earned an extra R56 per passenger.

Each carriage fits about 100 seated people and another 100 standing (especially in the morning). Let’s assume that all of those people would normally have bought monthlies. If so they have earned an extra R11 200 per carriage this month. With three or four first-class carriages per train they will have earned between R33 600 and R44 800 overall. And that is just on my line.

But wait dear reader, because I travel a short distance, so my tickets are the cheapest you can get. If you are travelling from Simon’s Town to Cape Town every day, and you normally buy a monthly, you will normally pay R312. A weekly costs R104. So by not selling monthlies this month, Metrorail has charged its passengers R416 — scoring themselves an extra R104. Per passenger. If we follow the calculation that all of the people in the carriage would normally have bought monthlies they have potentially scored R20 800 per carriage. And then potentially between R62 400 and R83 200 per train.

These are simple maths equations. It is likely that some of the people on the line will not have normally bought monthlies, and that there is overlap between the station that I get on, and those who have monthlies from other stations. But the bottom line is that Metrorail is making a stack of cash from their plans to strike.

Their service is below average. The trains are rarely on time. And now, because of their recent ticket price increases and play-play plans to strike, they are making more money than ever.

Surely there are rules that this can’t be the case? Anyone?