Rea Vaya’s Phase 1B bus services have been suspended since Friday, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and forcing them to find alternative transport.
On Friday morning, the bus service informed passengers via its social media platforms that no buses would be operating that day. However, the suspension continued throughout the weekend and remained in place on Monday morning.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Rea Vaya said services between Soweto and the Johannesburg CBD and other areas remained temporarily suspended.
“Passengers are advised that Rea Vaya Phase 1B bus services from Soweto to the Johannesburg CBD, Cresta, Newlands, Greymont, Yeoville and Parktown remain temporarily suspended.
“Phase 1C(a) services between the Johannesburg CBD and Sandton are operating according to the normal timetable.
“We are working closely with all relevant stakeholders and will provide an update on Phase 1B services during the course of the week.
“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding.”
The bus service has not disclosed the reason for the suspension.
The continued disruption has sparked outrage among commuters, many of whom took to social media to vent their frustrations.
One commuter questioned why Soweto passengers appeared to have been overlooked.
“So Soweto commuters are not taken into consideration? Are you aware that the Soweto service is the one making your services sustainable? Why don’t you allow affected commuters to get refunds until you fix your issues? Have you thought about how much it costs to use alternative transport from Soweto to Johannesburg? You were supposed to have a backup plan for circumstances like these,” the commuter wrote.
Another criticised the service’s reliability.
“You are so unreliable. It’s the last week before we get paid and I’d rather not use the little cash I have for transport. I have two weeks’ worth of fare sitting on my card. Thank you for the reminder not to load money for more than a week,” the commuter said.
A third commuter expressed similar frustration.
“Most inconsistent, unreliable service ever! You have absolutely no idea how much you inconvenience us as commuters. It sucks!”
Rea Vaya has apologised to affected passengers, and said it will provide further updates on the status of Phase 1B services during the week.
Sowetan
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