Getrude Makhafola, Anna Majavu and Sapa

Getrude Makhafola, Anna Majavu and Sapa

It's back to court for bus operators as their battle with government over bus subsidies continues.

Earlier this week, the Pretoria high court instructed the Gauteng department of transport to bring proof today that they had paid the operators.

Yesterday, the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union said it would on Friday lodge an application to strike should government "fail to honour a court order".

Jane Barret of Satawu said not everyone had been paid.

By yesterday afternoon, the SA Bus Operators Association said the vast majority of operators had received their portion of the R120million owed to operators for November.

Operators planned to start a fresh round today to get the December payments.

"The Gauteng department of public transport as well as most of the other provincial departments of transport are, however, in breach of their contracts as they have failed to pay bus operators for services rendered in December 2008," Saboa manager Eric Cornelius said.

Satawu general secretary Randall Howard, pictured, said: "We are concerned that this is taxpayers' money we are talking about."

Treasury was last week forced to advance R94million to the transport department so that they could pay Cape Town's Golden Arrow bus service.