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Parliament worried about bus strike's impact on Easter travel

───   13:36 Wed, 12 Apr 2017

Parliament worried about bus strike's impact on Easter travel | News Article

Cape Town - Parliament's transport committee chairperson Dikeledi Magadzi has expressed concern about the countrywide bus strike.


Bus drivers stepped on the brakes on Wednesday, leaving thousands of commuters stranded. Services affected included MyCiti, Golden Arrow, and long-distance services such as Greyhound.


Magadzi raised concerns about the timing of the strike, three days ahead of the Easter weekend.


"The national bus strike is set to inconvenience the country in proportions not witnessed before. A lot of people around this time are commuting by road to be with families. The stakes are high and all assistance, particularly from law enforcement agencies, is required so that the safety of road users is not compromised."


She said the long- and short-distance taxi industry would be put under pressure. She appealed to drivers to exercise caution, not overload their vehicles, and stick to the speed limits.


Law enforcement had to be strict when policing permits and licences as "unscrupulous operators" could exploit the strike.


On Tuesday, the Congress of the South African Trade Unions expressed support for the strike.


"Unions have been negotiating with the employers since January, but have reached a deadlock because of the intransigence and the unreasonable attitude of the employers," spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said.


Cosatu called on employers to accede to the demands for a 12% across-the-board wage increase, to avoid a protracted strike.


"Bus owners need to think about the workers and their passengers and not just about profits," Cosatu said.


News24


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