Tshwane bus commuters stranded after buses run out of fuel

Bus commuters in Tshwane were yesterday left stranded after half of the City of Tshwane’s buses were off the road due to diesel shortages.

Commuters had to find alternative transport as fewer buses with fuel left over from the previous day were able to operate.

Last month, commuters also had to find alternative transport after bus services were suspended due to a strike by workers affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers Union.

City spokesperson Selby Bokaba confirmed yesterday that Tshwane Bus Service operations have returned to full capacity following the late delivery of fuel, which halted almost half the fleet since Monday.

“The city’s fleet experienced a shortage of diesel on Monday and the service provider undertook to deliver last night. However, delivery could not be done due to some logistical glitches,” he said.

A commuter, Vivienne Modise, said she didn’t use buses because they were unpredictable and unreliable. “I would rather take a taxi because the bus is not reliable,” she said, despite the fact that taxi fares are more expensive than bus fares.

National Taxi Association spokesperson Theo Malele said taxis were the most convenient and sought-after public transport mode.

“It’s because taxis can get into space that buses can’t. They drop off and pick up commuters at the most convenient spot,” he said.

Malele said even though taxi fares were more expensive, they were more convenient than buses. Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa spokesperson Andiswa Makanda said trains were a better mode of transport.

“We have backup batteries and are not affected by load shedding,” she said. “Trains are the backbone of public transport system and people must use them.”

Makanda said trains between Pretoria and Mabopane, as well as Saulsville, were running while the train between Pretoria and Pienaarspoort outside Mamelodi would return to operation within the next week.

Democratic Alliance spokesperson Cilliers Brink said transport was only one part of the bigger solution to the economy. “Public transport is an expensive project and must be subsidised,” he said.

Brink said each province or municipality must have competence in transport as much as possible.

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