Bus driver row derails Gautrain service

A LABOUR dispute has derailed the Gautrain bus service – the sixth disruption since August. This time, only the peak-hour morning and afternoon services will not run as scheduled.

Drivers of the Gautrain buses are complaining that they are not being given transport allowances to get to and from work at 3.30am and 10pm when they start and knock off.

They said they would thus only start work at 6am and stop at 6pm. This will disrupt earlymorning and late-evening Gautrain bus services.

With every previous disruption, the stoppages have been declared illegal strikes.

In the past, wages were disputed despite agreements having been reached with unions over salary packages. The drivers no longer belong to a union.

One driver, who did not want to be named, said they earned R4 600 a month, but spent about R2 000 a month on private transport.

“There are no taxis to get us to work at 3.30am, or after 10pm, so we have to find private cars to transport us. This is very expensive. And now with the toll roads starting up, this is going to increase even more.

“The company agreed with us last year and offered us R250 a month extra, but we refused because this is not enough.

“We told them to keep the money and use it to provide us with transport instead, but this has not happened,” said the driver.

The Gautrain operator, Bombela, said contingency plans had been made for the peak- hour services.

Bombela spokeswoman Kelebogile Machaka said the strike was illegal but management of the bus operating company, Mega express, was negotiating with staff representatives to resolve the industrial action as soon as possible.

She said buses would operate as normally as possible along the following routes: S4 – Randburg S5 – Fourways RB Temp – Joburg CBD M2 – Noordwyk M3 – Sunninghill C1 – Technopark C4 – Southdowns P1 – Pretoria CBD Outer P2 – Pretoria CBD Inner H1 – Brooklyn H2 – Lynnwood H5 – Menlyn RF1 – Kempton Park service will be run on a reduced basis until 6.30am.

Distributor services from Sandton Station on the following routes should operate as normal: S2 – Wendywood S3 – Rivonia The following services will potentially be heavily disrupted until 6.30am: RB1 – Highlands North RB2 – Melrose Arch RB3 – Illovo RB4 – Craighall M1 – Randjespark C2 – Rooihuiskraal C3 – Wierda Park H3 – Arcadia H4 – Waverley Train services will be operating to the normal timetable.

To receive Gautrain service updates commuters can SMS the word ALERT to 32693, or contact the Gautrain call centre on 0800 Gautrain (42887246).