Poor state of rural roads blamed for broken buses

The rutted, unmaintained rural P700 was cited as a major setback for smooth bus services for the Bhukhanana and Ntambanana communities.

The poor state of the road leads to irregular schedules, which affect commuters.

The dire situation has prompted concern among the community, who have complained about their safety, saying buses are often not in good condition and experience regular breakdowns.

Acknowledging the community complaint, Kwazi Ngidi, supervisor for Ikhwezi Bus Services for Ntambanana and Bhukhanana areas, said the situation is at times beyond their control and cited poor road conditions as the contributor to fleet breakdowns on that route.

“We are in the process of acquiring two new buses as a response to the community request for two important duties in that area,” said Ngidi.

Ngidi further urged the community’s understanding, saying some of the breakdowns, such as tyre changes due to gravel roads, require a quick fix and the bus will stop for a few hours while being attended to by their maintenance staff.

“However, fixing some of the broken parts, such as springs, may take a whole day, and this sometimes happens to a few different fleets. We provide an alternative bus which might be waiting for its late duty,” said Ngidi.

One commuter, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being victimised, told the Zululand Observer that they pay up to R920 for a monthly bus ticket and end up not getting a service due to regular breakdowns.

He said the situation forces them to pile into a single bus should an early-duty one not show up, compromising their safety.

“This is stressful for us. We get to work late. We are sometimes forced to go to loan sharks for other means of work travel. We are not happy at all,” he said.

KZN Department of Transport and Human Settlements spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said, during a recent visit to King Cetshwayo District where they met with local traditional leadership, the department announced a R1.3-billion investment to fix the R34.

“That road [P700] was also discussed, as were others, the department has plans to fix it,” said Sibiya.

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