Bus travel searches rise 112% as travellers look to save

Buses have long been known to be a more affordable way of getting to certain destinations, however, bus travel is generally the first option considered for leisure travel in South Africa. 

According to Cheapflights, locals tend to opt for self-drive, taking a train or a flight. 

In the face of high costs of fuel, people are once again looking to bus travel as a highly economical option in the current economy where people are trying to save money wherever they can. 

The company further states that this is confirmed by the Bus Price Index, recording an average 112% increase in bus searches in South Africa over 2022 compared to the previous year. 

The figure comes from an analysis of searches on CheckMyBus-associated sites between 1 June 2022 and 30 August 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.

“This increase in bus searches may be due to travellers realising the cost-saving implications of using buses as their mode of transport over car or SA’s failing railway systems. In South Africa, passengers can make their way round for less than R37 (€2/$2) per 100km, despite an increase of 50% on some routes this year,” explained Cheaflights in reference to bus ticket prices based on prices found on cheapflights.co.za.

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These prices are also for the routes Johannesburg to Cape Town and Durban to Johannesburg as of 16 December 2022. 

It should be noted that prices are approximate and may vary with time. 

Bus ticket prices from Johannesburg to Cape Town start from around R600, while a ticket from Durban to Johannesburg starts from around R400. These prices compare favourably against the cost of one or two tanks of petrol and toll fees if one drives to Cape Town or Durban from Johannesburg.

The prices are also welcome in light of complaints about the rising cost of plane tickets and other problems plaguing the local aviation industry. In light of these changes, the website has even added buses to its core search. 

“In 2022 growing energy costs also pushed bus prices up. Still, bus travel seems to remain by far the cheapest mode of transportation. One reason why we see online demand growing around the globe,” commented Marc Hofmann, CEO, CheckMyBus.

It’s not just bus travel within SA that is more affordable. For those looking for a budget European summer holiday, Cheapflights.co.za has partnered with CheckMyBus to compile a list of the top wallet-friendly countries for bus travel. 

According to their data, Portugal came out on top, with the average price costing around €2.70 per 100km, followed closely by Turkey at around €3.00 per 100km. 

“Buses are a good alternative for budget-conscious travellers. While a road journey may take longer, it is a good chance to sit and relax, and to avoid the chaos of airports, especially over the high travel season,” concluded Laure Bornet, GM at KAYAK EMEA, the company that manages Cheapflights.

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Compiled by Kaunda Selisho