The City of Joburg run Metrobus service has implemented temporary service cutbacks due to high fuel costs.
Image: Steve Lawrence
Gauteng Metrobus commuters, some who have been left stranded for more than three hours, have voiced their frustration at the City of Johannesburg bus service provider's temporary cutbacks during off-peak hours. On Sunday, Metrobus announced that it will be reducing its services from Monday, June 1, due to financial constraints and the rise in diesel costs.
Commuters at Gandhi Square, a central hub for Metrobus routes, on Monday expressed their frustration as they faced delays stretching over three hours. Many cited a lack of communication from Metrobus regarding the adjustments to the timetable, leading to considerable inconvenience and hardship.
One student commuter, Junior Mpanza, relayed his distress after waiting since 10.15 am for his bus to Roodepoort, which had not arrived more than three hours later.
"I have been standing here for so long, and it is tiring. I only just got a chance to sit down," he said at around 1pm.
"My battery is low now. This is really unacceptable," he added, highlighting the pressing need for better information to the public.
Another student, Nompumelelo Peters from Kibler Park, faced a similar predicament after she was left stranded after her usual 6.15 am bus failed to show up.
She was forced to ask her father for a ride to school. "It's frustrating. I am still waiting to find out when the bus will come. My father was also frustrated as he had to take me to school. Even now, I am not sure what time will I get home," she remarked.
Mavis Ndebele, a frequent bus user as she runs a business, expressed her concern after waiting since 11am only to receive word that her bus would arrive at 3 pm.
"I was here shortly before 11am and after waiting for a while, I went to enquire and was told that the bus will only arrive at 3pm. If it were not for a kind young man, I might have fainted from hunger," she said.
In an official statement, Metrobus acknowledged the dire circumstances of its operational budget, stating, "Despite implementing cost-saving measures and operational efficiencies, temporary service reductions have become necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the service."
Commuters have been urged to check the updated routes and timetables on the Metrobus website or at local depots and terminals.
However, attempts to get a comment on the impact of the temporary measures on commuters were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
Meanwhile, to cope with rising fuel prices, PUTCO recently announced a 10% fare increase to offset the impact, with its spokesperson, Lindokuhle Xulu, saying that although PUTCO needed to increase its fares by 35%, it understands that commuters are financially challenged.
'What we do appreciate at PUTCO is that we are operating a subsidised service, meaning that we operate for people who cannot really afford other modes of transport. Even though to fully offset fuel costs, we would need 35%, we have increased our prices by 10% to accommodate our people," he stated.
siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za