WATCH: Twitter’s Mr Fix attends to Tshwane commuters’ complaints

“We will institute a forensic investigation into the NTI operations to look at allegations of irregularities, maladministration and theft.”

July 23, 2019

Reitumetse Mahope 2 minutes read

Commuters engaged in fixing of NTI buses. Photo: Twitter

The minister of transport has heard the cries of the Tshwane communities about poor public transport in the region.

And Minister Fikile Mbalula announced a revamp of the bus service during a visit Hammanskraal, Mabopane and Atteridgeville on Saturday.

The frustrated bus commuters in the region had charged that they were fed up with the poor service by North West bus service in the CBD and demanded the Department of Transport do something.

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They expressed their frustration at the quality of service rendered by the North-West Star and the Atteridgeville Bus Service, subsidiaries of North-West Transport Investments SOC Limited (NTI).

The NTI is a state-owned enterprise owned by the North West government.

Commuters’ complains included allegations that NTI buses were old, unroadworthy, unreliable, prone to breakdowns and not always available to service contracted routes.

Caiphus Makoti, chairperson of the Hammanskraal commuter’s voice said “Northwest Star does not have [reliable] buses anymore”.

He said they were unroadworthy and caused a lot of accidents and the service did not compensate “passengers involved in accidents”.

Makoti alleged that commuters were also expected to contribute toll fees and diesel costs for the buses from their own pockets.

“We buy tickets, how can the company expect us to contribute monies amounting to R5 each for toll gates and diesel, daily?” he asked.

Makoti said “All we want is a reliable transport service in Hammanskraal.”

He said Hammanskraal had grown in population and this bus service could not carry the required commuter capacity.

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Boitumelo Madiba, a passenger from Mabopane, said “these buses are not safe and often also overcrowded”.

Madiba said the buses often broke down causing commuters to be late for work and a lot of these buses had broken windows.

“We inhale a lot of dust and when it rains we have to cover ourselves with plastic.”

Mbalula said he took the complaints seriously and had engaged with the MECs of transport in Gauteng and North West.

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Accompanied by North West MEC for community safety and transport management, Sello Lehari and Tshwane MMC for roads and transport, Ms Sheila Senkubuge, Mbalula told the complainants his department would seek to secure a reputable transport provider with sufficient capacity to provide a quality service on a long-term basis.

He said the department would immediately test the current NTI fleet for roadworthiness.

“We will urgently source an additional 130 buses in good condition to supplement the current shortage on the routes contracted to the NTI. These buses will come from either manufacturers or other operators who have the capacity to render the service on terms agreed to with the Gauteng government.”

“We will also create an empowerment opportunity as provided for in the NTI contract for small bus operators to provide an additional 90 buses in good condition, who will be sub-contracted to provide the service.”

Mbalula said the department would also immediately audit the management and operational systems of the NTI to improve efficiencies for executing the current contract.

“We will institute a forensic investigation into the NTI operations to look at, among others, allegations of irregularities, maladministration, fare evasion and theft.”

The minister and the representatives of the Gauteng government and the community leaders, signed an undertaking to implement his plan in full view of the commuters.