Cape bus driver in the hot seat after forcing pupil to walk eight-hour journey home

A Golden Arrow bus driver is facing disciplinary action after his refusal to let a Simon’s Town Primary pupil board ended up in an eight-hour nightmare ordeal for the terrified boy.

Lifalethu Mbasana was left with no choice but to trek all the way from Simon’s Town to Makhaza, Khayelitsha, after losing his bus ticket on Monday, 22 July.

‘I felt scared and alone’: Bus driver leaves boy stranded

The young boy said he and his two younger siblings were waiting at a bus stop in Simon’s Town – but when the bus stopped, he could not find his ticket.

His siblings got on the 2.30pm bus to Makhaza, but the driver refused to give him a ride.

“I felt scared and alone, but was determined to make it home,” he told News24.  

40km journey home

According to 702, Lifalethu walked behind the bus but could not keep up and fell behind.

The brave boy eventually ended up walking 20km to Strandfontein, where he managed to get a lift to Mandela Park. A security officer contacted the police, who took Lifalethu home.

His mother, Siba, told 702 that the frantic family contacted the bus company and authorities to search for their son.

“He did not have a cellphone. We could not contact him,” she said, adding that her son only arrived home at 10pm that evening.

“We are not okay. None of us are okay,” his distraught mother said.

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Bus company responds: It’s our policy to assist scholars’

The bus driver has been suspended as the company’s policy is that drivers must assist uniformed minors who lost their tickets.

Golden Arrow Bus Services spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said the bus company views this incident in a very serious light.

“It is our policy to assist scholars in situations where they have lost their gold cards. The driver who failed to do so has been suspended. We have also undertaken to review all of our mechanisms related to lost scholar tickets and to ensure that protocol is followed in such cases.

According to the spokesperson, the bus company assisted in the search for the child.

“We were involved in the search for the scholar and have been in contact with his parents, having visited his parents last night [Tuesday].

“In circumstances where unaccompanied minors are making use of our services, we would ask parents to assist us by ensuring they are able to contact them in an emergency situation,” added Dyke-Beyer.

NOW READ: Calls for a proper scholar transport plan