Pretoria – City of Tshwane bus drivers have accused the metro of doing little to avert the potential second wave of the coronavirus by allowing overcrowding in the buses.
To vent their frustration, drivers affiliated to the SA Municipal Workers Union unexpectedly downed tools yesterday morning.
Their action left hundreds of commuters stranded, forcing them to make alternative transport arrangements at short notice.
The workers were also infuriated by the statement by the municipality that bus operations were suspended because drivers were refusing to work.
However, after a meeting between all the stakeholders, it was agreed a task team be established to address the grievances.
City spokesperson Selby Bokaba apologised to commuters for the inconvenience caused.
He said the morning shift was interrupted by some drivers affiliated to the union, who downed tools over the bus shift system.
“A task team has been established consisting of the metro bus entity management, bus drivers and labour unions, to explore practical ways to find an amicable solution to the impasse.
“The drivers are demanding that management revert to the pre-Covid-19 shift system during which they knocked off at 6pm.”
Bokaba said the new shift system was introduced during lockdown to accommodate essential service workers who finished work late.
“Under the lockdown shift system, the bus drivers are knocking off at 8pm, which is what sparked the downing of the tools.”
The union’s regional secretary, Mpho Tladinyane, said it was untrue drivers refused to work. He said City management must be blamed for making fewer buses available to operate since the country moved into level one of the lockdown.
Tladinyane said management had refused to increase the number of buses despite the fact many people had returned to work after the hard lockdown.
He said drivers were worried they were forced to carry almost 100% capacity as a result of the decision to operate on limited buses.
Loading buses at almost full capacity, he said, was putting at risk the lives of commuters and drivers, who found it difficult to observe physical distancing.
“This is a ticking time bomb. The second wave of Covid-19 will start at the buses with the drivers. Our issues are related to Covid-19. They are about the lives of our bus drivers that are at risk,” Tladinyane said.
Pretoria News