Passenger memories
We asked our passengers to share some of their favourite memories or the ways in which Golden Arrow had changed their lives. This is what they had to say:
LEONÉ MALAN
I was six years old and travelled from Salt River to Town and then to Walmer Estate. As I couldn’t read yet, I would simply take whichever bus stopped at our bus stop. One day, I got into the wrong bus. Being six and completely scared, I didn’t get off but went to the driver and told him my dilemma. All he said was “Little girl, sit on the single seat, and on our way back to Town I’ll see that you get home.” He took me to the depot in Woodstock and there one of the inspectors took me home with his car. There are many days I thank God that he placed those angels on my path. I continued to travel by bus until I retired.
HLOMELA MIMI SIBIDLA
Ntsikilelo and I met on 11 October 2017 on a city bus to Khayelistha. He saw me the minute I started boarding the bus and I sat at the twoseater in front of him because there was no other seat open. He got up from his seat and sat next to me, and we introduced ourselves. We exchanged numbers and had a nice chat. I dosed off on his shoulder – I won’t lie, it felt good. We started dating in November and we saw each other every day in town. We used to sit on the third last seat from the two-seater from the back. I can’t remember the bus driver’s name, but she was the best and she loved our relationship very much. On 5 June 2019, I lost him after dating for one year and five months. The only thing I have of him are memories and a pendant he gave me on my birthday on a bus to Mowbray. I’ve had only good and great experiences with Golden Arrow and I plan to have more. God bless you, GABS.
YOLISA SAMELA
My first memory of my ride in the Golden Arrow bus was way back in the early 1970’s when we boarded the bus at the back, and a conductor was always by the door waiting patiently for passengers to pay the fare of only 2c from Athlone to Nyanga or vice versa, and we would get off at NY 108. Those were the best days of our lives in a very low-crime or a crime-free environment. Congratulations to Golden Arrow for 160 years and I wish you another 160 years and more.
TIAAN STELLENBOOM
From the day I was born at Mowbray maternity hospital, I always heard the old buses driving on the ramp up onto Mowbray, and ever since then I loved travelling by bus. Even when my parents wanted to take the car or even taxi, I would put my foot down and demand to travel by bus because it is safer, much more spacious, and as they say it is “the bus for us”. My family always hired Golden Arrow for transport on special events and even funerals as my grandmother and I were both fond of travelling by bus. Since I was young, I always dreamed of becoming a bus driver myself, and to this day it has been my mission to become one. Thanks, GABS, for a fantastic 160 years. God bless you all.
ROCHELL ADAMS
Gernick Lee-Roy Adams and I met way back in 2016 on Sibanye bus 727 from Malmesbury to Cape Town. Ivan was the driver.We started dating in 2017.The second seat from the back on the left-hand side (two-seater) was our seat for a good few years. We got engaged in May 2020 and got married in November 2020. Here’s to many more lovely stories. Friends of ours, Shaulin and his wife Adilene, also met on the same bus and shared the very same seat.
KAUTHAR BENJAMIN
We have two beautiful girls aged nine and four, and they too enjoy bus rides. They always get excited when they know we will be going to Century City for the day and then a nice bus ride back home. I love sharing those special moments with my girls. My husband is working from home and he misses the bus ride to work and home. I’m the only one taking the bus to work now, and I miss him sitting next to me, which used to be our bonding time. Hopefully, we can have that time again in future.
VATY VEE NOTSHE
The memory I will never forget is this: I came from the Eastern Cape to stay with my parents who were working here. They found a place for me at Luzuko Primary School in 1995. I was in standard 5. My wish was to travel on a double-decker bus, but unfortunately I lived near the school, so I couldn’t use the bus to go to school. Since I came from a rural areas, I was so excited to see this kind of bus. One day, our teachers organised a trip to the Athlone library. I was so excited and waited patiently for the day of the trip. On that day, my mom prepared a nice lunch box. What made my day was to see that the teachers had booked the double-decker bus! I was so excited when the bus arrived that I ran straight to the top. That memory I will never forget – I didn’t even eat my lunch.