On Saturday, I went to Ellis Park to see the rugby. Together with family we caught a Gautrain at Sandton, alighted at Park Station and easily climbed aboard a Gautrain bus for the quick run to the stadium. The trip was fast and the whole journey was efficiently handled, including the policing all about the stadium. The Gautrain management are congratulated for this. But the trip back was a different experience.
Imagine a train pulling into a station. The doors of the first carriage open and passengers step in. When the first carriage is full the doors of the second carriage open for passengers, seriatim. That is what the Gautrain management organised for the bus trip back from the stadium to Park Station. There was a long line of buses waiting, all with their doors closed. The designated pickup point, a couple of teardrop banners, was to the left of where the bulk of would-be travellers came from the stadium.
A bus drew up and opened its doors. When full the next bus crawled forward and was in turn allowed to take on passengers. The pavement was packed, as one can imagine. When the crowd realised what the system was to be there was a great deal of pushing and shoving from often inebriated passengers to get to the pickup point, as one might expect. My family and I stood in the crush for over 45 minutes (I looked at my watch!) waiting for a bus.
Eventually, someone prevailed on the officious person apparently in charge and marshalling the buses forward, one by one, to allow a good many of them to open their doors and take on passengers. They filled quickly and pulled into the stream of cars. How long it took to clear the crowd I do not know, but if they had all filled up where they waited it would have taken far less time.
Robert Stone
Linden
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