Independent Media reports that Zolani Matthews, chief executive of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), has announced plans for the agency’s bus operating subsidiary Autopax Bus Service, which operates long distance busses Translux and City to City, to shed 350 jobs.
Matthews told the media, during a briefing reviewing his first 100 days as Prasa CEO, that it had become abundantly clear that Prasa required a review of its bus operations in the form of Autopax. He indicated: “Notwithstanding the negative impact of Covid on the bus industry, Prasa had already taken a decision to divisionalise Autopax from its subsidiary. Extensive consultation has commenced with labour as some of the plans involve a reduction in employee numbers and currently the target is for a reduction of 350 employees; we are however looking at the possibilities of absorbing a certain number of these into Prasa Group where vacancies are available.” Matthews added that they hoped that a new model of operations for Autopax would become possible once the divisionalisation process had been established, although this remained a work in progress with engagements ongoing with the Department of Transport and National Treasury. “This would include a revised mandate on the operations of Autopax to support the primary mandate of Prasa on rail operations,” he advised.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Samkelo Mtshali at Independent Media
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