In response to the complaint in last week’s Record about Metrobus I would like to make a couple of comments.
Firstly, the 13h45 414 bus was supposed to be a feeder bus from Delarey meeting the Roodekrans bus and transferring the passengers who go the other side of the line. It has not been running for several years as Metrobus said it had too few regular commuters.
Secondly, Metrobus plans to reduce the Roodekrans bus frequency. They say there is less need for it because of Rea Vaya. The fact that the C5 Rea Vaya stops many kilometers short of even Westgate appears to be irrelevant.
Thirdly, the 414 is the ONLY bus which services that side of the railway line. It is the bus which has only peak time buses, and is the first pus to be pulled when they are short of drivers. This is unacceptable. Ideally people in public transport management should be compelled to travel exclusively by public transport for 14 consecutive days of the year, so that they have an understanding of what we experience. Ideally this should be in the anniversary month of their employment, to make it random. If reports are then written, and followed up, we might see some changes.
On a different note – as a disabled commuter, my experience of Rea Vaya, Putco and Metrobus is not good. I frequently have to sit on the floor of buses as I am a permanent crutch user, and unable to stand the whole journey. There are policies, the management will tell you, but the drivers do not enforce them. Wednesday 12 November 2014 I boarded the 412 bus at the Delarey transfer point, shortly after 17h00. I stood the whole way to my exit point on Christiaan De Wet, near the Civic Centre. As I was leaving the bus, the driver closed the doors on me. It was literally a crushing experience. I could do nothing. Fellow passengers shouted to the driver to open the doors. This he did, and with great difficulty I climbed off the bus and walked to the Civic Centre.
The bus driver did not check whether or not I was injured, which I was, or report the matter. He did not even speak to me, as far as I am aware. I could not turn my head to check, because of the pain in my back and neck and the difficulty in breathing, so this is my own perception of the event.
Metrobus is having some difficulty with the driver in question, as he states that I was not on the bus on the day in question, etc., so if there are fellow passengers out there who witnessed the incident, could they please contact the Record, or contact the Metrobus depot on 011 768 1070 and confirm this. It would be greatly appreciated. Although nothing was broken, the soft tissue damage could take six months or more to heal.
Needless to state, I am not happy, and Metrobus does not have any answers yet.
