There are three different ticket sales onboard the Huaweng buses: a R100 ticket which allows multiple trips, a R20 ticket allowing a return trip, and a R10 ticket which is a single trip.

“The busses transport hundreds of commuters daily from Hoffman Square to Mimosa Mall, the University of the Free State, Bloemgate, and Tempe,” said the metro’s MMC of Corporate Services, Manthuse Letawana, who stood in as the acting mayor.

“When we were on the bus, some commuters complained about not receiving proof of payments after their purchases of the tickets, and the reason for this is the metro has run out of the R10 tickets and we only offer the R20 round trip ones,” said Maungaung Metropolitan Municipality transport specialist, Xolilizwe Manyingwane.

“We are in the process of moving from the paper tickets to the card system and we are at an advanced stage. Soon the paper tickets will be discontinued.”

Letawana emphasized that commuters have reacted positively to the convenience of transportation within the city. “Some commuters may not always have cash on them, so a card system will make this convenient for locals, this is something the metro needs to improve on.”

From left: MMC of Public Safety and Transport, Sibongile Tsoleli; HOD of Public Safety and Security, Israel Kgamanyane; MMC of Corporate Services, Manthuse Letawana; Municipality spokesperson, Qondile Khedama; Integrated Public Transport Network, IPTN Unit Head Prem Sooknanan, and Transport specialist, Xolilizwe Manyingwane. Photo: Zenande Mpame

Traffic officers and drivers raised some issues on the routes and traffic concerns during peak hours within the city. “We urge the public to obey the rules of the road at all times as this could aid in ease of movement for the buses, motorists, and commuters in general,” said Mangaung municipality MMC of Public Safety and Transport, Sibongile Tsoleli.

“Now that we have heard all these issues from the commuters and traffic officials, we would have to go back to the drawing board and maybe implement some routes on the road that are specifically for buses,” she said.

The metro identified routes and taxi owners who used those routes were required to form a company, the taxi owners were subsidized and received payouts because of routes taken by the metro.

The buses promote tourism in the city. Photo: Gypseenia Lion.

When a city has a bus system that works it promotes tourism and brings people to a city and leads to revenue, said Mangaung municipality MMC of Finance, Logan Kruger.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame mvh