Opposition says no to an increase in bus fares

DURBAN ratepayers may have to further subsidise commuters using Durban Transport buses after councillors rejected a 7% increase proposed by the ethekwini municipality this week.

The city buses which, according to the municipality, transport over 50 000 passengers daily, are operated by a private company, Tansnat Africa Durban CC, owned by the taxi tycoons, Gcaba brothers.

The proposal for an increase was discussed before the Human Settlements and Infrastructure Committee chaired by Deputy Mayor Philani Mavundla.

While it is standard procedure to increase bus fares each year to keep up with operating costs, opposition parties declined the proposed 7% increase, citing various issues between the city and the operator.

With fuel costs having gone up several times, the erratic train service and taxis having already increased their fares, buses were the cheapest public transport available.

There has been a long running legal dispute between the city and Tansnat that is being handled in court, with each side claiming to be owed millions by the other.

The buses are subsidised by the government through passenger fare income from the Department of Transport and the council, to make public transport affordable.

In a report tabled before the committee, Thami Manyathi, the head of ethekwini Transport Authority, said given that operating costs escalate every year, an annual increase in fares was required to enable the service level to be maintained.

He said while operating costs were rising, the subsidy from the government had not increased annually in

line with the operating cost.

He warned the increase needed to be implemented with effect from October 1 to prevent under-recovery of fare income by Tansnat.

However, the DA said the operator owed the city millions and, therefore, no increase was justified.

DA councillor, Hlengiwe Shozi, said the city leadership for years had been making commitments to solve issues of the “problematic” public transport service.

“Yet, to date, there has been no resolution and instead the city is placing the burden solely on commuters who are mostly from low-income communities, including pensioners.

Residents of ethekwini have been dealt a hard blow from the Covid-19 pandemic, the July unrest and more

recently, the severe floods in April.

We need a government that puts the interests of its people first by ensuring that they can weather the ever-increasing cost of living,” she said.

Mdu Nkosi, IFP caucus leader, concurred, saying public buses were the only transport available for the poor.

He said many people lost their jobs during Covid-19 and the unrest and transport was a basic need for those in search of jobs.

“It would be unfair to impose further increases while many people have lost their jobs.

“We led the objections and other parties followed, we will vote against the item again in the executive committee and full council to make sure it is not implemented.”

EFF councillor, Themba Mvubu,

said any increase that would affect ordinary people was unacceptable. He said even people considered middle-class were suffering due to the high cost of living driven by interest rates and fuel costs.

“The authorities must speak to the national treasury to increase the subsidy in line with the operating cost. We cannot vote in favour and subject our people to high costs,” he said.

The matter was expected to be discussed by the executive committee next week before the full council makes a decision.

Vickesh Maharaj, Tansnat chief operating officer, said the company would not make any comment at this stage until the council had made a final decision and provided reasons not to increase the fares.