Putco services in Soweto were disrupted by a protest at its bus depot on Monday, while in a separate incident buses were set alight at another of its depots.

Chairperson of the Batho Pele Soweto Commuters Forum, Mandla Cebekhulu, told TimesLIVE they are unhappy with the smart card system introduced last month.

“Sometimes it’s offline and we can’t use the buses when it is offline. Other times it is slow when you tag,” he said.

“Commuters' trips sometimes get deducted twice, even thrice in certain cases, for one trip, simply because of a transfer. So the system fails to pick up transfers and picks them up as a new trip. Remember, most commuters don't have buses that take them straight to their destinations, so they have to connect or transfer somewhere.”

Cebekhulu said they want the system to be scrapped.

Putco spokesperson Lindokuhle Xulu confirmed their services were disrupted on Monday morning due to the picket. 

“Putco has received the memorandum of demands, calling for the suspension of the new smart tab system. Putco will look into the demands and respond,” he said.

Xulu said they appealed to their passengers to be patient, as there were bound to be challenges with any new system.

“We've had some teething challenges since implementing the new system, but our team has been working around the clock to ensure it functions as intended.”

Five buses burnt, shots fired

In a separate incident, Xulu confirmed five of their contractor buses were set alight on Sunday night. 

“Our security team identified a number of people at the Nancefield depot. It is reported that those people shot at security before fleeing the scene, leaving buses burning.”

No injuries have been reported, he said. 

“Putco condemns this act of criminality and is calling on the relevant authorities to investigate and bring those who are in the wrong to book.

“We also want to thank security and staff for bravely moving some buses to safety, ensuring that the number of affected buses is kept to a minimum.”

TimesLIVE