Putco drivers disrespectful
OPEN LETTER TO PUTCO LTD MANAGING DIRECTOR FRANCO PISAPIA
I RECENTLY attended a seminar in Sandton, Johannesburg, for a week and a friend advised me to use your buses because of the terrible traffic.
Other friends advised me not to use your services. They alleged that your drivers do not respect commuters and they drive as if they are the only ones on the road. The list of complaints was endless.
One person said that drivers bypass certain bus stations in Soweto, to ensure that their girlfriends, relatives, children etc get seats at stops further down the route.
Despite this, I gave Putco the benefit of the doubt, but my goodness, on Monday, the bus did pass us by at a stop in Jabulani.
The same thing happened on Tuesday, on Wednesday and on Thursday.
And I had chosen bus stops randomly.
But what shocked me even more was that certain people were picked up at places that were not bus stops.
Some people were even picked up at the gates of their homes.
For the really lucky passengers, the bus driver waited for more than five minutes for the people to arrive.
Those passengers, I believe, are the ones who are seriously connected.
I do not think that treating commuters this way is fair, especially because the majority of them buy monthly bus tickets.
I get frustrated when my staff arrive late at work. I even mark some of them negatively on their performance development management system for coming late or for staying absent.
I would have written to you directly, but I was not sure if my letter would reach you because many commuters said that they had tried this and nothing was done.
I hope that you will send your supervisors to look into the situation in Soweto.
As for me, you will never see me trying to use your buses again.
I will advise other people not to use them either.
Councillor Toni Molefe, City of Johannesburg Region D: Soweto