Thousands of commuters affected by the suspension of North-West Transport Investment (NTI) bus services are set to receive a temporary lifeline, with the Gauteng and North West provincial governments expected to announce a phased resumption of operations on Sunday.
The announcement will be made in Hammanskraal, where the Premiers of the two provinces will be joined by the MECs responsible for transport.
NTI services in Hammanskraal and surrounding areas were suspended following the withdrawal of buses by subcontractors amid ongoing non-payment, unpaid worker salaries and the entity’s financial difficulties under business rescue.
The phased return is expected to provide relief to commuters in Hammanskraal and surrounding areas, including Atteridgeville, Mabopane and Mamelodi.
According to the Gauteng Provincial Government, significant progress has been made towards restoring operations. This includes engagements with employees, coordination with subcontractors, passenger communication, security arrangements, fleet repositioning, the restoration of ticketing systems and operational planning.
“NTI’s resumption of bus services is set to provide relief to thousands of commuters in Hammanskraal and surrounding areas,” the provincial government said.
NTI faces mounting financial and governance challenges
NTI has faced a series of challenges, including legal battles over attempts to remove the Business Rescue Practitioners, salary delays affecting more than 1,500 employees and complaints about the use of an ageing bus fleet.
The financial difficulties have also raised concerns about the entity’s ability to meet its operational obligations and maintain a reliable service for commuters.
North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi recently expressed optimism that the two provincial governments could find a lasting solution to NTI’s governance and financial challenges.
Mokgosi said the North West government owns NTI, but the entity provides an important commuter service to communities in Gauteng, particularly in and around Pretoria.
“This entity belongs to the North West Government but provides a commuter service to Gauteng, especially in and around Pretoria,” said Mokgosi.
He said the two provincial governments had been engaging at a high level, with both Premiers and the respective MECs involved in discussions aimed at developing a sustainable solution.
“These engagements chaired by both Premiers and attended by respective MECs are a high-level government engagement to look for strategic approaches to recapitalise the entity and to return it to profitability and finance its operational obligations,” Mokgosi said.
The phased resumption is expected to offer immediate relief to commuters, while the two provincial governments continue working towards a longer-term solution for NTI’s financial and governance problems.
