MyCiTi service still being affected by unprotected strike, intimidation

Commuters are advised that the MyCiTi service is still not operating according to schedule due to some bus drivers participating in the ongoing unprotected strike, and the intimidation of those who do want to work.

The City regrets to inform commuters that the MyCiTi service is not operating at capacity due to the fact that some bus drivers are still participating in the unprotected strike that has now entered its third week.

Furthermore, those bus drivers who do want to work are being intimidated and threatened by their colleagues who have been participating in the strike since Monday, 15 October 2018. 

This has an impact on the number of buses that are available to service the routes, meaning that the service cannot operate according to the normal time schedules and at the frequencies needed to meet the demand in the peak hour periods.

The Vehicle Operating Companies (VOCs) who are contracted by the City to operate the MyCiTi service are doing their best to keep to the time schedules, but commuters are requested to take note that the service will be under pressure for as long as the unprotected strike continues. 

The VOCs have also dismissed some of the bus drivers who have been participating in the unprotected strike and thus new bus drivers must be recruited.

Also, the N2 Express routes between Khayelitsha and the Civic Centre station in the Cape Town central business district have been suspended since the petrol bombing of a MyCiTi bus on Friday evening, 26 October 2018.

‘The attack happened at around 20:15 at the Kuyasa station. The driver was forced out of the bus before it was set alight. Nobody was injured, but the bus burnt out completely. We have received numerous reports from bus drivers who are scared to report for work. They are being intimidated and threatened. Unfortunately, we will only be able to resume operations in Khayelitsha once the situation has stabilised. We are monitoring the service and will inform commuters accordingly,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, Councillor Brett Herron.

Given the unpredictability of the current situation, commuters are requested to contact the Transport Information Centre 24/7 on 0800 65 64 63 for the latest information regarding the service, or follow @MyCiTibus on Twitter, or visit the facebook page ‘MyCiTi Integrated Rapid Transit System’ as changes to the operating schedule can happen at any time.

Monthly ticketholders will be reimbursed with the number of days that they could not make use of the service due to the strike action.

‘I deplore the intimidation, ongoing threats and violence that have been part of the unprotected strike. Thousands of commuters rely on the MyCiTi service and it is unfortunate that they have to keep on making alternative arrangements at the drop of a hat. That said, I must applaud the personnel – from the bus drivers to those working at the MyCiTi stations, our officials and law enforcement officers – for their dedication and hard work in rendering a service under very difficult circumstances,’ said Councillor Herron.