‘We want solutions, not excuses’ – Frustrated Tshwane bus commuters
Tshwane bus commuters say they are fed up with cancelled and delayed trips, and demand action from city officials.
Frustrated commuters have relayed their challenges with the Tshwane Bus Service (TBS) after being impacted by disruptions this week.
Many said they were stranded when buses were cancelled or delayed from November 7 into this week.
The Tshwane X (formerly Twitter) account announced buses would not operate in some routes in Silverton, Monument Park, Lynwood Manor, Centurion and West Park on November 14.
13 November 2024
Greetings commuters, the following trips are expected not to operate on the morning of 14 November 2024:
05:30 Silverton 1 05:55 City
Direct West Park 7 07:05 City
07:05 Monument Park 1. 07:40 City— Tshwane Bus Service (@Tshwanebus2) November 13, 2024
Mountain View 1. 05h55 is not on the list but was not running this morning. Kids are writing hle.
— Noma (@womandla4) November 13, 2024
Commuter Hunadi Kgagudi said she has used the TBS for years but had recently become unreliable and recent disruption had made her commute unbearable.
Kgagudi said Tshwane should work to provide reliable transportation, not excuses.
She said she is tired of waking up early, only to find out that her bus isn’t operating.
“It’s frustrating and demoralising. We deserve better.”
Another affected commuter, Zintle Ngenyane complained about the recent disruption of the TBS service and its inability to service the peak period sufficiently due to the shortage of buses.
Ngenyane said she complained about the bus shortage but nothing has been done.
“I had to spend extra money on alternative transport, which is unsustainable.”
She added that Tshwane needs to prioritise its commuters.
“We are not just statistics, we are people who rely on these buses to get to work, school and hospital appointments,” she said.
“The disruptions are affecting my livelihood and I am worried about losing my job due to being constantly late.”
Avumile Siela also shared his frustration with TBS.
“Buses often don’t show up on time,” he explained.
He said when they do show up, they’re usually packed.
“We’re not asking for luxury, we’re asking for basic transportation that works,” said Siela.
“We understand the challenges, but we need solutions not excuses.”
On Tuesday, Tshwane announced that the schedule disruption was due to the dismissal of 33 drivers who had participated in an unprotected strike in May.
It said this had resulted in 32 fewer buses servicing the city’s 160 routes on weekdays.
Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the metro has not started the process of recruiting replacements.
We apologise for the inconvenience.
You will be updated in due course on the specific trips affected.
— Tshwane Bus Service (@Tshwanebus2) November 11, 2024
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