Commuters feel like pawns in Putco’s bid to get paid

Bus company Public Utility Transport Corporation (Putco) has been accused of using commuters as pawns to pressure government to pay its outstanding subsidies, at the expense of their livelihoods.

On Wednesday afternoon, commuters were left stranded after Putco announced the immediate suspension of service until the Gauteng roads and transport department pay its monthly subsidy, outstanding since March.

Putco cited depleted diesel reserves as the reason for pulling the brakes on its buses and that the department had been notified at least two weeks ago that the company was fast running out fuel due to the non-payment.

ALSO READ: Payment dispute between Putco and Gauteng leaves commuters stranded

In the the former KwaNdebele homeland in Mpumalanga, where thousands of people rely on the Putco buses for a cheaper commute between Pretoria in Gauteng mainly for work and school, is among the hardest-hit areas.

Disgraceful behaviour

Fuming and frustrated commuters have criticised Putco for not notifying them in time about the shortage of fuel so that they could make alternative travel arrangements.

They argued that if Putco had notified government about the looming fuel depletion two weeks ago, the company could not plead ignorance.

Mandla Mnisi said up until the very last day on Wednesday, Putco was still selling coupons knowing very well that there will be no buses the next day.

“Is that how you treat your customers? Sell them a service that you cannot provide? This is not only disturbing but also a highest display of apathy and a disgrace, to say the least,” he said.

Sphiwe Mahlangu, 34, who commutes daily between his home in KwaMhlanga to work in Centurion, Pretoria, echoed Mnisi’s sentiments, saying Putco kept them in the dark. He said they were left stranded so Putco could put pressure on government.

ALSO READ: Safety concerns as Putco resumes operations in troubled areas

“We have been used as a tool for Putco’s battle with government. They knew that there will be an outcry and government will be forced to pay. But the biggest losers in this whole saga are the passengers. Some will lose their jobs, get warnings and have their wages docked,” he said.

Putco’s drastic action also comes as commuters just returned from the long weekend of Freedom Day and Workers’ Day, with nothing left in their pockets to afford taxi fares.

Mahlangu, a cleaner in Centurion, for instance, spends R391 on a weekly Putco bus coupon and takes two return buses using the same coupons. On Thursday, however, he had to fork out R140 for a return trip on a minibus taxi.

“… and when they do refunds, they only do it for a single trip, meaning I have lost R70,” he said.

Blame game

Putco conceded that it had failed to communicate the bus service suspension due to diesel shortages timeously.

Spokesperson Lindokuhle Xulu said this was because they had hoped that the Gauteng department of roads and transport would come to their aid as it has always done before.

“Those interventions were not in place, we could not communicate prematurely without knowing the interventions… that is the reason we did not communicate in time because we were waiting for government to have some form of communication with us so that we can communicate this [to commuters],” he said.

It was only after Putco had announced the suspension of buses on Wednesday afternoon that the department explained the reason for the delay in the payment of the subsidies.

The department said that the payment delay was due to the glitches that come with government’s financial year ending in March.

Putco Buses back on Friday

However, the department assured the public that this has since been sorted out. The money has since been paid and will be available for Putco on Monday.

Putco initially vowed not to start its buses until they see the money, but a high-level meeting between Putco and the Gauteng provincial government, including premier Panyaza Lesufi, at the Gautrain offices in Midrand on Thursday has ended the impasse.

Xulu confirmed that Putco and the provincial government have reached some agreement and that the Putco buses will be back on the roads on Friday morning.

NOW READ: Workers’ daily game of Russian roulette on the Road of Death