Commuters are stranded as it seems the wheels are coming off at Metrobus.
The record has been inundated with complaints the past month from Metrobus users whose complaints range from buses not being on schedule or not pitching at all to drivers overloading buses and regular breakdowns. Rumours also have it that as many as 50 buses are not in working order. Commuters also want to know what happened to the 150 eco-friendly duel-fuel buses that were promised to be up and running by April this year.
According to Metrobus spokesperson at the Roodepoort depot, Esther Dreyer the bus service is affected adversely by frequent breakdowns and other mechanical problems due to an ageing fleet, in particular at the Roodepoort depot. Dreyer says staff in the Roodepoort workshop will be working overtime this weekend to get as many buses as possible back on the road by next week and if necessary buses will be leased from an external bus company in order to alleviate the situation.
With regard to the green buses, Dreyer says the tender process is in its final stage at the City of Joburg and she appeals to commuters to be patient.
As far as the overloading is concerned, Dreyer says drivers have been instructed not to overload and emphasised that drivers who get caught doing so will be disciplined severely. Inspectors will monitor this situation.
“We would like to extend our apologies to all those who have been inconvenienced by late or non-arrivals over past weeks,” says Dreyer.
Nothing has changed, as a matter of fact it is getting worse, the route between Roodepoort and Sandton at least once a week one or two busses don’t pitch in the morning, when you phone Roodepoort bus depot they either don’t answer the phone or tell you sorry the one bus broke down. Last week 3rd and 4th of November 2 busses each day broke down and we only got to Sandton after 09h00, 14th of November again bus broke down used own transport don’t know what time the bus arrived should be in Florida round 06h50 at 07h15 I phoned the depot, reply sorry the bus broke down.
In the afternoons they don’t stay at their time table, busses breakdown they overload and and.. just getting worse. What happened to Esther Dreyer comment in the Roodepoort Record 20 October 2014 “Dreyer says staff in the Roodepoort workshop will be working overtime this weekend to get as many buses as possible back on the road by next week and if necessary buses will be leased from an external bus company in order to alleviate the situation.” I’ve been at the depot a couple of Saturday mornings with nobody in sight in the yard fixing/working on any busses.
I think it is time to get rid of the Management at Roodepoort Metrobus they are pathetic and we are suffering, we can’t rely on the Public transport.