Putco bus commuters have slammed the looming 19% fare increase which comes seven months after another hike of 8% was implemented, citing the high cost of living.
On Monday, dozens of commuters protested outside Putco’s depots in Dobsonville, Soweto, and Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, over the exponential increase expected to become effective from August 1.
From as early as 4am, the protesters gathered outside the depots and submitted a memorandum of demands to the operational managers on site.
A single trip from Soweto to Sandton will now cost R15, up from R13.
A trip from Soshanguve to Pretoria will increase from R26 to R31.
When Sowetan visited the Dobsonville depot, dozens of buses were still inside.
Batho Pele Soweto Commuters Forum chairperson Mandla Cebekhulu said Putco should completely scrap its 19% fare increase.
“This is an unfair bus increase. Commuters do not have that kind of money. Most of the commuters have not received salary increases.
“We have given the management until end of business on Friday for them to respond. If they do not agree with our demand, no buses will move next week Monday,’’ said Cebekulu.
He said the commuter forums have agreed for bus operations to continue from today until the end of the week.
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Several commuters said they are already feeling the pinch of not having enough money to run their households.
Dumisani Khuzwayo, 47, uses the bus five days a week from Meadowlands to Cresta, Randburg, where he works.
Khuzwayo currently pays R30 for a single trip. With the looming increase, he is going to pay R36, meaning he will be spending R72 daily to get to work.
Prior to the January increase, he paid R28 for a single trip.
The father of three said꞉ “Putco cannot increase fares twice. I cannot afford to buy all the food I want. I have had to stop buying snacks, biscuits, juice and cold drinks.
“I only buy meat, rice and vegetables. This increase will force me to cut out more food items.’’
Mapaseka Molatlhegi, 39, commutes from Braamfischer, Soweto, to her workplace in Linbro Park, Sandton.
Molatlhegi is set to pay R31 from next week, up from R26. She paid R25 in January.
She said she currently spends R1,078 monthly on transport.
''This is not fair. I will now have to spend R1,300 a month on fares. My R8,000 salary is not enough. I have had to stop buying red meat and wors and now I am only buying chicken.
“I have debt from my clothing accounts that I still have to pay. This R300 increase means I might have to cut out more food items so that I can go to work,’’ she said.
Putco spokesperson Matlakala Motloung said the increase was inevitable.
''Due to the recent fuel price increases, the fuel proportion of total costs has increased significantly. Putco has been absorbing the fuel price increases for many months, however it has now become unaffordable.
“It is regrettable that there is no other option but to implement a special fuel-related fare increase,’’ said Motloung.
She said the bus entity will continue to engage with passenger forums. ''This increase is unprecedented. Since we are subsidised by government, we are only allowed to increase fares annually.
“However, we increased for the second time because the subsidy rate for public transport has remained below inflation over the years and the bus subsidy allocation decreased from April this year at the same time fuel prices were skyrocketing,” said Motloung.
kokam@sowetan.co.za
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