MyCiTi service suspended as from Wednesday morning due to national strike action

The City of Cape Town wants to inform commuters that the MyCiTi service will be suspended as from midnight on Wednesday 18 April 2018 until further notice. No MyCiTi buses will be operating and commuters are requested in advance to please make alternative arrangements.

A nationwide strike action affecting the entire South African bus industry will take effect as from midnight on Wednesday 18 April 2018, until further notice.

The strike action is as a result of dead-locked wage negotiations. The unions who are party to the South African Road Passengers Bargaining Council (SARPBAC) have subsequently given notice of their intention to embark on strike action.

The City has been informed that the Vehicle Operating Companies (VOCs) operating the MyCiTi service will institute a lock-out as from midnight on Wednesday 18 April 2018 to ensure the safety of commuters and personnel for the duration of the strike. This, in effect, means that there will be no MyCiTi trunk or feeder services available as from Wednesday morning, for as long as the strike and lock-out continue.

‘We regret the inconvenience caused and the pressure it adds on commuters to make alternative travel arrangements. The strike will have a serious knock-on effect on all public transport and road-based traffic as more than 72 000 commuters make use of the MyCiTi service on any given weekday. Furthermore, we anticipate that the strike action will have a severe impact on Cape Town’s commuters who are already taking strain due to the challenges that Metrorail is experiencing with the Central line,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, Councillor Brett Herron.

The City is expecting a significant increase in the number of vehicles on the city’s road network because the bus commuters will either opt for minibus-taxis or use their own private vehicles to get to work and back. 

‘I am therefore calling on private businesses in Cape Town to consider implementing flexible working hours or remote working arrangements for employees where possible and practical for the duration of the strike action. 

‘It will bring great relief if private businesses would allow their employees to work remotely from satellite offices for a number of days or hours; or to allow employees to begin and end working at different times; or to work from home during the peak and then to travel to work during the off-peak,’ said Councillor Herron.

Apart from the call on private businesses to manage their employees’ working hours during this time, the City is also requesting residents to consider alternative travel arrangements.

‘Car-pooling could be a practical option for those living further away. For example, those residents who live in close proximity to one another and work in the same area could drive together,’ said Councillor Herron.

As stated above, it is unclear for how long the strike and lock-out will continue. The City will carefully monitor the situation and will provide commuters with updates as far as possible.

Commuters are also advised to visit the MyCiTi website on www.myciti.org.za for regular updates; and to follow us on Twitter @MyCiTiBus; or to phone the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63 – the TIC is available 24/7.

‘I am requesting the parties to return to the bargaining table and to start working on an agreement that will be to the benefit of all – not only for the sake of the employees and employers, but more so for the commuters who rely on buses to get to work and school,’ said Councillor Herron.