Pretoria - Disabled Laudium resident Moloko Kganyago has spoken of the frustration he endures daily when trying to use Tshwane Bus Services, saying they have no regard for people who are not able-bodied.
The wheelchair-bound commuter said he was not happy at all, and among his complaints was overcrowding and not having enough buses on his route that accommodate people living with disabilities.
“The overcrowding happens at least three or four times a week.
“When we ask we are told that the municipality does not have diesel; that is why they cannot provide us with enough buses.
“Sometimes they tell us that there are not enough drivers or that the buses are broken.”
“Inside the buses it is clearly written that the bus is certified to carry 45 passengers and 10 standing.
“Believe me, there can be 100 people standing in the bus, and if brakes are applied or something happens while on the road, all of us are doomed to die.”
Kganyago said it was heartbreaking because they as disabled people were paying the same fees as required for the bus service.
“I have asked them if they are concerned about our safety, and until now there have been no answers.
“What I have been told is that apparently it is written into the bus drivers’ contract that they should close the door when it is full and leave, but they do not do that.”
Kganyago said it was a struggle for him to get inside the buses, as not all buses were wheelchair-friendly.
“I was told that every time I need to use Tshwane buses, I will need to go to the office and request for a bus to come and fetch me.
“Every day is a struggle to get on the bus; people have to carry me inside whereas there are buses that are wheelchair-friendly that are not being routed to where we need them.”
He did appreciate one bus driver, whom he called “Mama Anna”, driving a 5:30am bus, saying she did an extraordinary job by making sure every single day she came around with a wheelchair-friendly bus. Attempts to get a response from the City on the availability of buses have proved futile.
“The problem lies with the Tshwane municipality management, who force drivers to carry up to 150 people in a 55 person bus,” Kganyago said.
Pretoria News