SowetanLive reports that Putco bus commuters have slammed a looming 19% fare increase, which will come seven months after an earlier hike of 8% was implemented.

On Monday, dozens of commuters protested outside Putco’s depots in Dobsonville, Soweto and Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, over the increase expected to become effective from 1 August. From as early as 4am, the protesters gathered outside the depots and submitted memoranda of demands to the operational managers on site. A single trip from Soweto to Sandton will cost R15, up from R13, while a trip from Soshanguve to Pretoria will increase from R26 to R31. Headline consumer inflation in SA surged to 7.4% in June and several commuters said they were already feeling the pinch of not having enough money to run their households. Batho Pele Soweto Commuters Forum chairperson Mandla Cebekhulu said Putco should completely scrap its 19% fare increase. “This is an unfair bus increase. Commuters do not have that kind of money. Most of the commuters have not received salary increases. We have given the management until end of business on Friday for them to respond. If they do not agree with our demand, no buses will move next week Monday,’’ said Cebekulu. He advised that the commuter forums had agreed for bus operations to continue until the end of the week. Putco spokesperson Matlakala Motloung said the increase was inevitable: ''Due to the recent fuel price increases, the fuel proportion of total costs has increased significantly. Putco has been absorbing the fuel price increases for many months, however it has now become unaffordable.” She said the bus entity would continue to engage with passenger forums.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mpho Koka & Keletso Mkhwanazi at SowetanLive

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