Many residents’ trips were ruined by transport affiliates, Translux and City to City, bus drivers’ strike that started on Friday.
Johanna Seabi said she waited at the bus terminal at Checkers in Polokwane for the City to City bus that her son was booked on to arrive.
She realised that she waited too long and asked City to City employees when she could expect the bus.
She said the employees told her that the drivers were on strike and that her son would have to make other arrangements or buy a bus ticket from another bus company. They had no prior notice and her son was still waiting for the bus at his bus stop in Hammanskraal.
Martenique Swarts is the mother of two boys and since her divorce, she is only able to see them during school holidays.
Her sons had to travel from Johannesburg.
“On Friday, when the schools closed, I called the Translux bus service to make sure that my sons would arrive safely. The person on the line told me that there would be no buses, because the bus drivers were on strike.
“I had to make new arrangements to get my sons to Polokwane, because with so many other people buying tickets from other bus services, I was unable to buy bus tickets for my sons on any other bus service,” she said.
Translux bus driver, Simon Selokela, said he saw other drivers drive Translux and City to City buses around without any passengers as a sign of protest over the weekend.
Mpho George, manager of the Translux charter department of the City to City buses, said many drivers were unhappy because they felt ignored by management when they tried to discuss their grievances with them.
“They decided to strike over the first weekend of the school holidays to force ma-nagement to listen to them,” George said.
According to George, the matter was cleared up and the Translux and City to City buses were back on schedule yesterday (Monday).
Passengers can contact Translux or City to City for refunds or new bookings.
