The University of Pretoria’s (UP) Hatfield campus is descended upon daily by students from all over the City of Tshwane, as well as Gauteng as a whole. This paints a picture of a student body with eclectic commuting methods, each of which hold their own benefits and drawbacks. In an effort to better understand the daily commute – and maybe to advise a better way to get around – PDBY delved into some of the main methods that students use to trudge to campus.
Due to the abundance of student accommodation (both private and university-operated) within a two-kilometre radius of Hatfield campus, many students choose walking as their preferred method of transport. This is a naturally cost-effective means of travel. However, it can be time consuming and it can lead to various safety concerns, especially late at night. The alternative for students living near the Hillcrest sports campus is to make use of the buses running between Hillcrest and Hatfield campuses. Unfortunately, the bus service stops operating at 20:20 during the week.
Aside from the university-operated buses, students can also make use of the City of Tshwane-operated bus line, known as the A Re Yeng bus services. These buses run throughout the city and vary in fee. Some trips may cost as little as R11.50, but can increase to R30 per trip depending on the distance travelled. Similar to the university’s bus service, the line stops relatively early at 20:00. This could leave student commuters in a precarious position should they be on campus until late at night.
Moving away from road-bound transport, there are two train services which students can use to commute to class. The first service is the Gautrain which stops less than two kilometres from Hatfield campus. Ticket fares can range from R34 if you are going between Pretoria and Hatfield, to R234 if you are travelling from OR Tambo International Airport in the East Rand of Johannesburg. A cheaper alternative to the Gautrain is the Metrorail which stops directly opposite the University Road entrance to UP, and can be used for as little as R14.50 for a return trip that is less than ten kilometres.
Going back to the road, students can make use of Minibus Taxis that will cost the student-commuter approximately R20 for trips between Sunnyside, Menlyn, and UP respectively. The trips themselves are time savvy as each will take approximately fifteen minutes to complete.
Although UP is often slandered for its on campus parking (or lack thereof), students have several public and private transport options which each hold cost and time efficiency benefits.
