Commuters are fed up with what they describe as poor service from the local bus company, Great North Transport (GNT), and are demanding that its operations be halted on routes around the Elim area and from Nzhelele to Louis Trichardt.
Their main complaints are that buses arrive late—or fail to arrive at all—and that the fleet is unroadworthy. Commuters claim that GNT is putting their lives at risk by operating unsafe buses.
Some passengers say they fear losing their jobs as repeated delays have made them unreliable in their employers' eyes. Many are also demanding refunds for days when buses failed to show up. Parents, meanwhile, report being called to schools to explain why their children arrive late.
Frustrated commuters want their concerns brought to the attention of the Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Violete Mathye, particularly the department's monitoring and evaluation unit.
One commuter, Naledzani Nematakwe from Nzhelele, said the company had already cost several people their jobs. "We arrive late at work because GNT does not stick to its own timetable," he said. He added that for years, the operator had refused to address the frequent breakdowns of its buses.
"I've been waiting for a bus for almost three hours," he complained. "I have no choice but to keep using it because it's the cheapest option—taxis cost twice as much," he lamented. "Every morning, we wake up hoping the bus will arrive on time, but that never happens."
Great North Transport spokesperson Mthunzi Dlamini admitted the company was experiencing a shortage of buses but said they were in the process of acquiring a new fleet. He acknowledged operational challenges in the Makhado region and said efforts were underway to resolve them.
Dlamini dismissed allegations that GNT was operating unroadworthy buses, saying, "Our technical team constantly inspects the fleet in line with transport safety standards. Unroadworthy buses are taken off the road and only released after thorough mechanical checks."
Regarding passenger refunds, Dlamini said the company was aware of the issue and working to resolve it through "passenger-friendly channels." He apologised to commuters who had experienced delays and said GNT was implementing a turnaround strategy, which includes procuring new buses, refurbishing the existing fleet, and leasing additional vehicles to service certain routes.
"The above plan will help ease some of the challenges faced by the company, and we are working tirelessly to turn things around," he said.