Commuters voice their concerns to Buscor
Other commuters complained of overloading, especially in the morning and afternoons, of buses between Oakley and Mbombela.
Bus commuters have bitterly voiced their frustrations in using public transport since Transport Month was launched last week.
Buscor commuters from areas around Mkhuhlu to Mbombela explained their frustrations to the bus management and MEC of public works, roads and transport, Gillion Mashego. “The buses are always overloaded. This has been going on since one bus was burned in the area and it was not replaced,” said Khosi Silinda from Shabalala Trust.
Read: #TransportMonth: Here are five road safety tips
Commuters from Mkhuhlu and Cunningmore said they needed more buses to operate after every hour.
Lindiwe Lubisi, a commuter from Chochocho, complained of having one bus in the area. “We rely on one bus leaving at 05:15 and returning around 18:00 in the evening. The bus is always overloaded with some of us standing every day, yet we all buy tickets,” she said.
Norah Fakude, the executive chairperson of Buscor, said, “This is the time of the year where government and us (Buscor) listen to the commuters’ views after which we can go and fix as needed. Our company is committed to ensuring the safety of all our passengers, hence our buses have yellow handlers to help those who are short-sighted. We have automatic lifts for helping wheelchair users when entering and leaving the buses comfortably. We are trying by all means to make our passengers feel comfortable while using our buses, as some use the buses from as early as 03:00,” she said.
Mashego said, “South Africans are impatient. We don’t tolerate each other, we are always in a hurry.What the media, department and the community at large needs to do, is to change our mindsets, then we will succeed.
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