DO NOT LET PERCEPTIONS CLOUD YOUR MIND

Many people have perceptions of things that they have heard about or maybe experienced long ago and that have become the alpha and omega to them. Today I would like to challenge such thoughts.

Public transport and in particular trains is a much talked about topic in our city and country. Metrorail, as a service provider that carries 56% of Cape Town’s public transport providers, has many challenges, but I would like to highlight some of its trophies.

The Southern Line Tourism Route is a collaborative project between the City of Cape Town, Cape Town Tourism and Metrorail. The idea was to introduce a cost effective manner for domestic and international tourists to explore via rail what the City had to offer.

Seven stations were identified with attractions at each destination less than 1, 2 km within reach.  For as little as R30 for a one day pass and R50 for a two day pass, travelers can “Hop off and Hop on” between off peak hours and explore what the city has to offer. 

Cape Town, the only city in South Africa that boosts a railway line along a rugged coastline. You can no longer say that it is too expensive to travel to Boulders. Take a train with a group of friends, request for a chaperone coach and travel to Simon’s Town. From there take a taxi and get there in no time. This entire excursion per person will cost less than R70.

Statistics show that we had many international travelers during the year that explored this route. The City of Cape Town has statistics that show that more incidents occur on the road than on rail.

The world cup has shown that rail is still a pillar of  transport in the city , so those with obscured perceptions, lets move from under this cloud and experience the Southern Line Tourism Route.  

Picture resource: Eugene Armer - Travelling along the Southern Line