IPTS bus service grinds to a halt due to protest by drivers and stakeholders

Not a single Libhongolethu bus or minibus taxi was on the road on Thursday as angry owners and drivers brought the beleaguered  Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) to a halt when they closed the Cleary Park depot.

Among their grievances, the shareholders demanded an annual general meeting, questioned the outsourcing of the bus maintenance, and raised questions as to why operating permits had been allowed to expire in April.

Spectrum Alert shareholders also demanded answers as to why their salaries were short by R2,000 on Monday and what was being done to service the R800,000 debt to Sars.

They also demanded more transparency on the managing of the company.

The protesters placed the blame on the doorstep of Spectrum Alert chief executive Trevor Harper, saying he was responsible for the company’s woes.

While Spectrum chair Farouk Meyer said plans to fire Harper were afoot, Harper said only the board had the power to sack him.

Libhongolethu operates a fleet of buses owned by the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, which has subcontracted Spectrum Alert, a private company, to run the routes.

Algoa Taxi Association chair Ricardo Tromp said all they wanted was for an annual general meeting (AGM) to discuss Spectrum Alert’s affairs, but they had been waiting since August.

“The municipality told us there is nothing they can do, it is a private company,” Tromp said.

Meyer said the expiry of operating permits was an offence serious enough for heads to roll.

“The permits of the buses expired and in my experience in the transport industry that is enough to get you dismissed.

“It is costing the company millions because the company cannot operate without a permit,” Meyer said.

Harper said the AGM could not be organised  because of restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 lockdown.

They were still waiting for audited financial statements.

On the operating permits expiring, Harper said they were in the process of renewing them, saying they should have never been allowed to expire.

He said the board had decided to outsource the maintenance of buses and taxis because the municipality was supposed to have built a workshop at the depot.

“That has not happened. Until the municipality builds a proper workshop, the board decided to outsource that function.

“We are not a government institution that goes on tender, [so] we got quotes from various companies and the company [that was awarded the contract] is not a start-up.

“There is no corruption involved.

“Outsourcing does not need to be communicated nor do we need permission from the shareholders, [because] directors from the board make operational decisions.

“The shareholders were short-paid R2,000 because of cash flow reasons.

“We owe Sars about R800,000 and we have an arrangement to pay it off,” Harper said.

Roads and transport political boss Rano Kayser said while the municipality would not interfere with the running of Spectrum Alert, he had been reassured that the AGM would be organised as soon as all the boxes were ticked.

“Our main concern is that the buses must be operational  and that passengers are receiving a professional and safe service,” Kayser said.

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