Golden Arrow Bus Services
The Golden Arrow Bus Services (Pty) Ltd is an operator of public transport system for the Cape Peninsula and surrounding areas of South Africa. Its services are primarily short-routes.
Golden Arrow’s history goes back to 1861 when the original Cape Town and Green Point Tramway Company was established. For more than 140 years road based scheduled public transport in Cape Town has been provided by a private operator, and after a series of mergers and acquisitions, the shareholding of the bus company was acquired in July 2004 by Hosken Consolidated Investments Limited, one of the premier black economic empowerment companies in South Africa.
The company serves the metropolitan Cape Peninsula and Cape Flats area, encompassing the City of Cape Town. This includes areas such as Mitchell's Plain, Blue Downs, Atlantis, Langa, Guguletu, Nyanga, Crossroads and Khayelitsha. Services for these areas which cover approximately 1 350 km, are provided from depots at Arrowgate, Tollgate, Atlantis, Philippi, Simonstown and Eastgate.
The services from the Atlantis depot are operated by Sibanye Bus Services (Pty) Ltd, a joint venture between Golden Arrow Bus Services (Pty) Ltd, Abahlobo Transport Services and Siyakhula Bus Services. Golden Arrow has subcontracted these routes to Sibanye as part of the company’s commitment to the economic empowerment of previously disadvantaged bus operators.
Approximately 914 peak diesel buses and at peak hour in the city about 1154 buses on these routes. Golden Arrows fleet serve some 900 routes operated in the City of Cape Town. The bus fleet travels approximately 54.6 million kilometres per year, conveying some 53.6 million passengers annually at a rate of over 250 000 per working day.
A total of 2477 people of all races are employed. More than half of them are directly involved in the running of bus services, such as drivers, inspectors, regulators and small business unit managers. Engineering staff, including electricians, body builders, fitters and turners, welders, signwriters, and painters, together with management, administrative workers, storemen, cleaners and security officials account for the rest.
The Golden Arrow Foundation was established in 1994. The projects supported by the foundation include Adventure Bus Trips, support for the Woodside Sanctuary, bursaries for tertiary education and educational and youth leadership programmes. In June 2005 the HCI Foundation was established, incorporating the Golden Arrow Foundation. The HCI Foundation will continue the support of local projects initiated by the Golden Arrow Foundation.