GEORGE NEWS - The GO GEORGE bus service remains heavily compromised due to the illegal strike of bus drivers.
A very limited service will be delivered on main routes today and tomorrow.
GO GEORGE suggests that passengers make use of alternative transport where possible.
The crippling strike, that started this morning, has taken the George Municipality and the vehicle operating company George Link by complete surprise.
The directors of George Link is currently in discussion with the union to resolve the situation. In a statement the George Municipality said GO GEORGE passengers will be informed about the outcome as soon as more information becomes available.
An insider, who asked not to be identified, told the George Herald that it is no coincidence that the illegal strike coincides with the start of the mediation process between the disgruntled taxi faction (of whom all the members hail from Thembalethu) and the Provincial Transport Department.
Many of the former taxi owners, some who are now bus drivers and shareholders of George Link, say the amount they received to give up their taxi licences was insufficient. They demand that the negotiation process be reopened.
The insider said this will be impossible and that the national department of transport, who initiated and funded the formation of the public bus transport system in George, should be part of the mediation process as only they can make a decision either way.
Province and the George Municipality were responsible for getting the system in place and rolling out the service.
The George Herald has also heard that the drivers are angry as they are still waiting for a response to a list of grievances that they handed to George Link early in July after their request for a protest march was denied by the municipality.
All the GO GEORGE buses bar five are parked at the bus depot in York Street where the bus drivers have been gathered in groups since this morning. When the George Herald arrived at the scene, the drivers reacted by shouting aggressively and making threatening gestures when they saw the camera. A security guard asked the George Herald to leave as he feared for the media’s safety.
At the bus terminus in the CBD frustrated commuters said they had been waiting for over two hours to get a bus to Blanco. Five buses, driven by George Link shareholders, are currently running – 3 to Pacaltsdorp, 1 to Blanco and 1 to Rosemoor.
Municipal Manager Trevor Botha said it is unacceptable that the citizens of George should be held ransom by the bus drivers. “It is an illegal strike and the George Link Directors should get their house in order and ensure that the drivers do not embark on strikes. It is an essential service in George. The smooth functioning of the GO GEORGE buses has a major influence on prospective investment in the city. It seems there are elements involved in the strike who would like to make George ungovernable. We are working extremely hard to create job opportunities and to get finance into the city. We are also working on the next phase of the roll out in George and many commuters are waiting with baited breath for the buses. We appeal to the drivers to return to work for the good of the entire populace of George.”
The 14 men who stand accused of involvement in the violence on 19 August 2015 that saw 5 buses torched and other damage causing tens of millions of rand will again appear in the George Magistrate’s court on 5 October.
GO GEORGE apologises for the disruption and the huge impact of this unplanned strike on schools, businesses, passengers and the community.
ARTICLE & PHOTO: ILSE SCHOONRAAD, GEORGE HERALD EDITOR
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