A six hour-long meeting on Saturday, 28 June between Minister Dipuo Peters, transport minister and a community delegation from Mpumalanga Transport Forum, ended in a “truce” to avert a planned rolling mass action that would have started against PUTCO in the province on Tuesday, 1 July. Among those in the Minister’s delegation was Ismael Vadi – MEC for transport in Gauteng.
A planned strike by communities in Nkangala region, especially those from former KwaNdebele areas, has been brewing since March and would have commenced on 6 May. Communities from these areas have raging grievances against poor services from PUTCO, which they also allege is arrogant and insensitive to their complaints.
In a Memorandum to PUTCO dated 22nd June, the Young Communist League of South Africa in the province stated that:
- PUTCO buses were un-roadworthy, broke often and delayed commuters to their work places, resulting in these workers being dismissed at times. On many occasions they broke while carrying passengers and expose them to acts of criminality, especially at night.
- Reckless drivers, under-staffing, overloading and poorly serviced buses were behind the many accidents happening on the R573, commonly known as Moloto Road.
- Unilateral price hikes and management’s attitude towards Mpumalanga Commuters’ Organisation (MCO) were unacceptable.
- PUTCO had a monopoly to operate the route and reluctant to let small operators have a stake.
In the meeting it was agreed that;
- Monitoring of buses should be done from the depot before departure, on the road – electronic monitoring would be considered in the medium to long term.
- Moloto road / R573 will be ceded to South African National Road Agency Limited (SANRAL), as a national road for serious improvements.
- As from Monday 30th, law enforcement operations will be made visible and heightened to deal with all un-roadworthy buses.
- Current contract will be reviewed with the objective to open up for small to medium operators once the contract ends in 2015.
- Intended community action would proceed unhindered and peacefully on Tuesday, 1st July, and no provocation to violence would be tolerated from any party.
- Further mass activity would be on hold while improved services and communication between PUTCO and the Mpumalanga Commuters’ Organisation, unfold.
- Further for PUTCO to make public retraction for the manner in which community grievances were responded to through the media and for also implicating the department.
- The departments work on contract review and other processes to normalise the situation.
- Minister Peters and PUTCO senior management would be available to receive the community at the KwaMhlanga government precincts.
The Minister took the liberty to brief the Forum on the latest about Moloto Rail Development Corridor and indicated that a public participation forum, in this regard, will be held in early to mid-July.
Enquiries:
Jomo Khasu
Spokesperson: Minister of Transport
Cell: 076 140 7006
