Bus and coach industry calls for a superhero

In this open letter to the Minister of Transport, BAZIL GOVENDER lays out the need for an ongoing and proactive relationship between his ministry and the bus and coach industry.

Honourable Minister Fikile Mbalula,

Oh ye who leads us forth – fearing nothing in the battle to fix everything in transport.

The bus and coach industry remains deeply indebted to you for making the time for a brief flirtation with us back on May 29, 2020. We hold onto that fading memory of a relationship that was to be, and your commitment to engaging us as your partner in dealing with the deep, structural, and systemic problems within public transport.

Whilst we are always thankful for your fearless efforts to fix things and will remain your superfans in the Twitter-sphere, Mr Minister, there does seem to be a feeling that the spark has gone out of the relationship…

As a collective, we do note that you certainly enjoy a serious pun in the conversation, so here goes:

You did acknowledge SABOA (and the industry) in your keynote address at the 2022 Conference. Notwithstanding that second fleeting and flirtatious glance you gave us, this mobile relationship is starting to take a heavy toll. This is especially true due to its long-distance nature – so much so that it is becoming obvious to people in the inner cities and across the borders, and is having an effect on scholars and learners, as well as tourists. In fact, all forms of commuters are noticing the clear strain in our bond and, like many a strained relationship, parties are forced to take sides in this struggle. 

Even the courts (and our under-pressure judiciary) have had to pick a side as to who keeps the wheels (turning) in this three-decade-long turbulent relationship.

Granted, we as the industry have had multiple partners over these three decades, something that tends to complicate relationships – as the past is always bound to come up in times of trouble – but you, Minister have been our fondest and favourite…

Your razzmatazz led us to believe that you were the one, because you were going to integrate us all into the 21^st Century and take us on a magic ride through our wonderfully maintained roads, transitioning public transport into a new era.

As the breadwinner in this relationship and the one who manages the relationship budget, you proudly committed to living the dream, underlining the core of our relationship: transport, the heartbeat of economic growth and social development.

You were going to take “the backbone and engine of the economy” (in your own words), from the periphery to the forefront, and fix it fearlessly!

Fear not, Minister, our years of neglect from all our previous partners have taught us to be resilient. For one has to knuckle down and keep the wheels turning when a nation is dependent on one, even if one is running out of road.

Dear Minister, “Let us not, to the marriage of true minds, impediments admit”

We entered this relationship together, committed to transporting our nation into the future, with an integrated plan that was to see us both participate in securing a sustainable union. We vowed to transform our individual positions into a stronger bond that would see our relationship contribute to the growth and development of our extended families and, indeed, society at large.

• Let us not dwell on our demise, as an industry, due to the systemic and structural issues within the environment in which we co-exist. For to do that, we would have to admit that three decades of partnerships have led us to a point of no return.
• Let us not dwell on the ongoing siege that we are placed under due to daily attacks, intimidation, and extortion, coupled with rising levels of crime and destruction of property, in our daily quest to keep the citizens of South Africa mobile. For to do that, we would have to admit that there is a third party intruding into our relationship – one with whom you would prefer to be, at our expense.
• Let us not dwell on the uncertainty that overshadows our relationship, as you constantly seek an extension to consider your position, with the latest being March 2023.
• Let us not dwell on the fact that we do not have enough funds to sustain our relationship into the future. For that, we would have to admit that we do not have sufficient funds to sustain ourselves currently.

We take comfort, Honourable Minister, from the fact that you are indeed a man of your word and that you will stick to your word. The words “integrated public transport, affordable and accessible to all”, have featured in so many of your public addresses, speeches, and presentations.

Dear Minister, despite the significant pronouncements in public around our relationship, what happens in private is a shame. The dream of affordable, accessible, safe, integrated transport remains a distant reality – one that requires us to continue to live in hope or to smell the smoke of the burning buses and accept that there is an inevitable break-up of the union, requiring us to (once again) seek a new partner.

Given our high-profile relationship, and the celebrity status you enjoy, it would appear that any issues emanating from our relationship will have an extended and damaging impact on all who depend on us.

Our relationship is essential

Public transport is a key accelerator of the economy, contributing to job creation, social inclusion, and sustainability. The bus and coach industry is strongly interlinked with many other economic sectors, and develops economic benefits through these strong links.

Since our first meeting on May 29, 2020, the challenges facing public transport – and the bus and coach industry in particular – have only increased.

The survival of our relationship – the bus and coach industry and public transport as a whole – should therefore be a priority for us both.

As many a professional relationship expert has pointed out, no troubled relationship can survive unless there is an earnest and committed dialogue about the “serious and legal stuff”. Those awkward periods of silence in a relationship only serve to foster mistrust, resentment, and alienation.

As we have stated before, since the dawn of democracy we have (as an industry) committed to all our previous partners and we remain committed to you, Minister.

SABOA, as an industry representative, together with industry leaders, has been ready to join forces to create a sustainable transport system with an accessible integrated public transport network.

The lights have gone out, the candle is burning down, and we are running out of road. It is lonely at the table, waiting and waiting…

We need a superhero, one who is fearless and one who can fix the current situation…

Dear Minister, we are tired of hearing only words; it is time to put those words into action.

Your lonely but committed partner,
SABOA