Metrobus cuts leave Gauteng commuters stranded and frustrated

Long delays at Gandhi Square

According to IOL, commuters at Gandhi Square, a central hub for Metrobus routes, faced delays stretching over three hours on Monday and voiced their frustration at the City of Johannesburg bus service provider’s temporary cutbacks during off-peak hours.

Commuters describe hours of waiting

According to IOL, student commuter Junior Mpanza said he had been waiting since 10.15am for his bus to Roodepoort and that it had not arrived more than three hours later. He said:

“I have been standing here for so long, and it is tiring. I only just got a chance to sit down,”

and added,

“My battery is low now. This is really unacceptable.”

According to IOL, another student, Nompumelelo Peters, said her usual 6.15am bus failed to show up and that she had to ask her father for a ride to school. She said:

“It’s frustrating. I am still waiting to find out when the bus will come. My father was also frustrated as he had to take me to school. Even now, I am not sure what time will I get home.”

According to IOL, frequent bus user Mavis Ndebele said she had been waiting since 11am and was told her bus would arrive at 3pm. She said:

“If it were not for a kind young man, I might have fainted from hunger.”

Metrobus cites budget pressure; communication criticised

According to IOL, Metrobus announced the reductions on Sunday and acknowledged pressure on its operational budget, saying temporary service reductions were necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the service. Commuters cited a lack of communication from Metrobus about timetable adjustments, which they said caused considerable inconvenience and hardship.

Response and next steps

According to IOL, commuters were urged to check updated routes and timetables on the Metrobus website or at local depots and terminals. Attempts to get a comment on the impact of the temporary measures on commuters were unsuccessful at the time of publication, according to IOL.