Chairperson, the public transport system in the country is already beset with problems. This situation will now be compounded in Durban as the people of this city face the possibility of being without a bus service for the next few months. Remant Alton, which runs the city's bus service, has closed down, leaving about 1 500 people without employment and the rest of the city without a bus service.
Remant Alton took over Durban Transport in 2003 at a cost of R70 million. However, owing to the rapidly deteriorating state of the bus service, the municipality bought the buses back from them five years later at a cost of R405 million. It was agreed that Remant Alton would remain the operator and lease the buses from the municipality.
The bus service should not have been allowed to reach this low point. Surely there were warning signs which should have been heeded and actions which could have been taken to avoid the closure of this bus service? With proper management and leadership from the municipality the public transport system in Durban would not be in the dire state in which it now finds itself.
The municipality must take some responsibility for this situation and there must definitely be an investigation into the circumstances that led to the closure of this important public transport facility. If there were greater transparency and improved accountability mechanisms in place, this situation would never have occurred. This situation will not only inconvenience the many people who use the bus service, but also put a strain on the city's other modes of transport. Thank you. [Applause.]