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Cape Town commuters could potentially travel free during off-peak hours if GOOD mayoral candidate Brett Herron's party secures control of the City in November. Herron has positioned the cost of getting around Cape Town as a key focus of GOOD's transport plan, suggesting that buses and trains are already operational during quieter times and should be used to move more passengers without charging them.

According to the party's Cape Town manifesto, released in Athlone on Saturday, free off-peak travel is intended to be part of a broader overhaul of public transport in the City. GOOD contends that the City's transport system remains fragmented and advocates for integrating rail into a unified public transport network. The party also seeks improved connections between communities and key destinations such as places of work, study, and services.

This promise comes as Cape Town commuters anticipate another rise in public transport costs, with Golden Arrow announcing a 4.5% average increase on selected cash fares starting September 28. The increases will primarily impact passengers who pay cash during off-peak periods; however, Gold Card multi-journey fares will remain unchanged, and most peak cash fares will be protected from the hike.

Herron previously held the role of mayoral committee member responsible for transport and urban development in Cape Town and is now running for mayor. The free off-peak transport proposal was among the commitments GOOD outlined as they unveiled the party's Cape Town manifesto in the weeks leading up to the November local government elections.