Johannesburg Metrobus drivers were still on strike on Thursday morning in protest against their new shift schedule, the bus company said.
“We will be meeting with the union today to try and resolve the problem,” Metrobus managing director Herman van Laar said.
Only a “small portion” of drivers were on strike — about 70 out the 500 employed. They were affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) and were unhappy about the new driver shifts implemented from December 6 2010.
However, Van Laar acknowledged many routes across the city were affected.
The bus company had changed the shift system to “improve services and meet market demand”.
Drivers took their feet off the gas on Wednesday afternoon, leaving thousands of commuters stranded.
“Metrobus wishes to extend its sincere apology to the thousands of stranded commuters and assure them that the company is doing all in its power to resolve the situation,” spokesperson Esther Dreyer said in a statement.
“Our new shift system adheres to the law. In fact it is in line with bus driver shifts for the bus transportation industry as a whole.” — Sapa