Gauteng commuter bus operators have received some outstanding subsidy payments but are still owed a substantial amount, their association said on Monday.
”All of them got payments from the Gauteng transport department [Gautrans] at the weekend but not all were payments in full,” said South African Bus Operators’ Association executive manager Eric Cornelius.
”Some of the companies that have not been paid in full are actually those that are in dire straits.”
He said Gautrans met bus operators on Friday and told them that they would receive a letter with a fixed date by Monday as to when they would receive all of the outstanding payments.
It was not known how much was outstanding on Monday, but Cornelius said the amount was ”substantial”.
Trade union Solidarity said companies North West Star (NWS) and Atteridgeville Bus Service (ABS) were battling a ”serious cash-flow crisis” despite receiving R3,5-million in subsidy payments over the weekend.
”The companies hope to receive another payment by tomorrow [Tuesday] to enable them to pay this week’s wages,” said spokesperson Zirk Gous.
The April subsidy was being calculated, which would leave Gautrans with three months’ worth of unpaid subsidies at the end of this month, said Gous.
”It is disappointing that Gautrans apparently does not realise the gravity of the situation.
”More than 300 000 commuters, most of them workers, may be left stranded if the bus companies do not receive the promised subsidy payments,” he said.
He said approximately 2 000 employees of NWS and ABS may be without an income if problems with the subsidy payments continued.
Gautrans spokesperson Alfred Nhlapo said the department continued to pay out thousands of contractors for services rendered once these claims had been verified.
He said the two-month delay was due to funds that had been exhausted.
Gautrans in April received the funds from the national department and was in the process of paying these out.
This, he said, had been conveyed to bus operators in January.
”There is no issue of a dispute between ourselves [Gautrans] and the bus operators.
”Two operators [NWS and ABS] have made out that there is a crisis between the department and bus operators,” he said. Nhlapo said the department would also implement a new electronic monitoring system within the next few weeks.
He said the aim of the programme was to ensure that Gautrans was paying out subsidies for services rendered.
The bulk of the funds was currently being paid out to NWS, ABS and six other operators.
”It is a matter that we are seriously looking into because we need to ensure that public funds are disposed of with integrity,” he said. — Sapa