Government officials, including the new Transport MEC in Mpumalanga Mandla Ndlovu, have urged citizens to use public transport to reduce the volumes of traffic on the roads.
Over a quarter of a million people use public transport every day in Mpumalanga’s Lowveld region.
Public transport especially buses are the transport of choice for many in Mpumalanga’s Lowveld region. Bus Company Buscor transports over 250 000 commuters daily.
To mark Transport Month, the provincial MEC for Roads and Transport Mandla Ndlovu and the Chairperson of Buscor Norah Fakude shared public transport with some commuters in KaBokweni.
Some commuters express their excitement at sharing the bus with the officials.
“The high price of fuel has further pushed many people to use public transport for their daily trips. Buses are among the cheapest and more reliable forms of transport used by many, especially in the rural areas,” says one commuter.
That’s over the taxi operators’ push to have the department revoke bus company, Buscor’s operating licence. https://t.co/ZirKtl1S0t
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Fakude says the safety of their passengers is paramount.
“We chose this Transport Month to spend time with our passengers so that we can get the feeling of the service we are providing and you can see the passengers are so happy and delighted. We do so that if there are any shortcomings, we make improvements so that our passengers are safe are comfortable they get to work freely and fresh so that they can be productive. Normally, when we take a driver, when we employ him we put aside his license, and he goes to our won development training,” Fakude adds.
Video – Buscor temporarily suspends Mbombela operations:
Plans are underway to increase inspections of public transport in the province from this month until the end of the festive season.
Roads and Transport MEC has urged members of the public to use public transport to reduce traffic flows on the roads. He says more than 80% of people make use of public transport in the province.
“Since 2005, that is Transport month and I indicated that I don’t believe that we will just have only one month we will celebrate transport months, according to me, every day is transport month. I indicated that there’s a relationship between passengers and our buses. We are here today to strengthen that relationship to ensure that our buses are safe and that they meet all the necessary requirements that our commuters would be safe,” Ndlovu further adds.
The new MEC promised to repair roads across the province to ensure the safety of motorists on the roads.
Transport providers have raised concerns about the state of the road network in the province. The roads are riddled with potholes which are often blamed for fatal crashes.
Video – Workers in Mbombela affected by suspension of bus and taxi operations due to protest:
