Johnathan Paoli
Rea Vaya commuters will have to find alternative means of transport as the disruption of operations at the bus depots has entered its second day, following the ongoing labour dispute between PioTrans and employees over the non-payment of 13th cheques which were due in December 2023.
On Wednesday, workers employed by PioTrans embarked on protest action, resulting in the Rea Vaya buses which ferry thousands of commuters around Johannesburg every day, not being able to run.
The company reported that the exit point of the depot was blocked and all buses could not operate.
This comes on the heels of a South Gauteng High Court ruling late last year, which ordered PioTrans to be placed under business rescue, after two creditors failed to receive the outstanding debt owed to them.
Business rescue practitioner Mahier Tayob Tayfin previously said that immediate steps were being taken to turn around the company’s finances and would ensure bus operations would continue uninterrupted.
In addition, reports surfaced that certain taxi owners who agreed to trade in their vehicles for a 66% share in PioTrans have expressed dismay following the placement of the company under business rescue.
The National Taxi Alliance (NTA) said it has been fielding complaints of fraud, maladministration, mismanagement, poor governance and a lack of expertise for some time now.
Rea Vaya operator PioTrans headed to court on Thursday in order to secure an interdict against the disruptive workers.
On Wednesday Tayfin said they were planning on approaching the courts in a bid to secure an interdict against the striking workers.
Transport MMC Kenny Kunene, offered Tayfin his full support, and said that he must be assertive and called the striking workers unreasonable and their conduct intolerable.
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