THE City bus service, operated by Tansnat, has resumed and the strike action halted after eThekwini Municipality assured residents and bus service employees that the City is still committed to forming the Municipal bus entity.
Bus drivers have returned to work and the bus service will be in full operation today (Tuesday, 26 July), following an agreement that was reached between the City and their employer, Tansnat.
Despite allegations in a Daily News paper that the bus strike was due to failure by the City leadership to adhere to the promise of an establishment of the Municipal bus entity, City Manager Sibusiso Sithole reassures bus drivers that the City is still committed to the formation of the bus entity and asks the bus drivers to be patient while all necessary processes are being finalised.
The meeting follows a strike by Durban Transport bus drivers which began last week.
“We are currently at an advanced stage of forming an entity and are engaging with various stakeholders to finalise the process. However, the new MEC of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Kenneth Kaunda and the National Treasury have requested to be given some time to scrutinise the formation of the entity,” Sithole said.
Sithole said only once the Provincial Department of Transport and the National Treasury had given the City the go-ahead to implement the entity, would the current bus operator be given a three-month notice to allow all employees to be transferred to the entity.
He said that regular consultation of all role-players will be conducted to ensure that workers are kept abreast of all developments.
The eThekwini Council last year resolved to establish an entity that will manage bus operations with effect from 1 July. However, the legislative processes for the establishment of the entity, are being finalised.
“The Municipality apologises to commuters for the inconvenience caused,” said Sithole.
