Golden Arrow and MyCiti bus services will be suspended on Wednesday, 18 April 2018 until further notice.
The City has advised businesses in the City Bowl to allow their employees to work from home, or travel during off-peak hours, in anticipation of extreme traffic congestion.
The strike action comes as a result of deadlocked wage negotiations. Unions associated with the South African Road Passengers Bargaining Council (SARPBAC) have given notice of their intention to strike.
The City of Cape Town has been informed by the companies which operate the MyCiti service, that a lock-out will ensure the safety of commuters and personnel for the duration of the strike. This means that no MyCiti trunk or feeder services will be available from Wednesday onwards, and this will continue for the duration of the strike. It is unclear how long the strike will continue for.
Councillor Brett Heron, Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, said the strike would likely affect more than just the 72 000 daily MyCiti users.
“We regret the inconvenience caused and the pressure it adds on commuters to make alternative travel arrangements. The strike will have a serious knock-on effect on all public transport and road-based traffic as more than 72 000 commuters make use of the MyCiTi service on any given weekday,” he said. “Furthermore, we anticipate that the strike action will have a severe impact on Cape Town’s commuters who are already taking strain due to the challenges that Metrorail is experiencing with the central line.”
The City expects a significant increase in the number of vehicles on the City’s roads as bus commuters will either opt to make use of mini-bus taxis or their own private vehicles to get to work and back. “It will bring great relief if private businesses would allow their employees to work remotely from satellite offices for a number of days or hours; or to allow employees to begin and end working at different times; or to work from home during the peak and then to travel to work during the off-peak,” said Councillor Herron.
The City is also requesting that residents make alternative transport arrangements, such as car pooling. This is a practical option, as employees who live in close proximity to one another and work in the same area could drive together.
Golden Arrow bus services will also be suspended from Wednesday, 18 April onwards, and will also instate a company-wide lockout to ensure the safety of passengers and staff for the duration of the strike. “In the event of a strike, weekly and monthly clipcards that are valid when the strike commences will be extended when service resumes,” the bus service said in a statement.
Golden Arrow Bus Service has warned that a #busstrike is looming for 18 April after wage talks with unions deadlocked.
Not good for CPT when the city’s transport backbone, Metrorail remains unreliable. — Rauby (@GraemeRauby) April 10, 2018
Commuters are advised to make use of the MyCiti and Golden Arrow official sites in order to keep up to date on any developments and updates.