By Palesa Matlala
- A mother travelling with her children describes being on an overloaded bus where passengers were told to hide from traffic police.
- Despite safety fears, rising transport costs mean some families can now only afford to travel home for funerals or Christmas.
Smakelo Zulu, 45, travelled from KwaZulu-Natal to Johannesburg with her three children after spending Christmas at home for the first time in almost three years.
Zulu moved to Gauteng in 2013 to study and later stayed permanently after finding work. Over the years, she regularly travelled home for Easter, school holidays and December breaks.
She said travelling became far more expensive after she had children.
In 2023, she spent R850 on a long-distance taxi and R500 on a single bus ticket. Today, she spends R600 on a return bus ticket. Including her children, the family spends R2,400 just to visit relatives.
“Before becoming a mother, it was easier to travel by taxi,” Zulu said. “Now I worry about my children’s safety. A bus feels like the safer option.”
But even buses have become risky when cheaper companies are used.
Zulu said she recently boarded a bus from Mnambithi to Johannesburg and was shocked to see how overcrowded it was.
“There were people standing all the way from KZN to Johannesburg,” she said. “Seats meant for three people had four passengers.”
She said the driver instructed passengers to close the curtains so traffic officers would not see those standing.
At a major roadblock, the bus was stopped and officers counted ten extra passengers, exceeding the legal limit of 65.
Despite her fears, she said she has little choice.
“I will only travel to KZN for funerals or during Christmas,” she said. “I can’t afford to travel more often anymore.”
KwaZulu-Natal roads recorded 187 crashes and 207 fatalities in 2025. Provincial Transport MEC Siboniso Duma has previously warned that speeding, drunken driving and ignoring road rules remain major causes of deadly accidents.
For families like Zulu’s, rising costs mean safety is no longer guaranteed – it depends on what they can afford.
Pictured above: Passengers on a bus.
Image source: Palesa Matlala
