By Buziwe Nocuze
· Passengers say cockroaches crawl into their bags and are being carried home from infested buses.
· Golden Arrow says it fumigates buses regularly and blames the heatwave for the rising number of pests.
Golden Arrow bus passengers in Cape Town are fed up with cockroaches crawling all over them during their daily trips.
They say riding the bus has become a nightmare — and some say the bugs are even following them home.
Siyolise Makinana, 35, told Scrolla.Africa that commuting has become stressful.
“We can’t relax on the bus anymore. We spend the whole ride looking out for cockroaches,” he said. “The company must clean their buses properly.”
Another commuter, who asked not to be named, said cockroaches have even made it into people’s bags.
“Some of us are bringing them into our homes without realising it,” he said. “They need to deep clean those buses. It feels like they don’t even bother anymore.”
He said when he first heard the complaints, he didn’t believe them, until he saw it for himself.
“I travelled from Philippi to Cape Town and saw cockroaches everywhere. It was disgusting.”
Golden Arrow Bus Services spokesperson Bronwen Dyker-Beyer told Scrolla.Africa the company takes the complaints seriously.
She said all buses are fumigated every 10 to 14 days and cleaned up to three times a day.
“Any cockroach sightings are escalated and the affected bus is refumigated immediately,” said Dyker-Beyer.
She added that the recent heatwave has made the situation worse.
“Passengers can help by not leaving food or drinks behind, and by reporting any bus with cockroaches,” she said.
Commuters are urged to call the company’s toll-free number — 0800 656 463 — and report the four-digit number of the bus.
But frustrated passengers say the current cleaning isn’t enough.
“It feels like we’re being harassed by cockroaches,” said one. “We pay for these rides, we’re not riding for free. They must fix it.”
Pictured above: Golden Arrow Bus
Image source: supplied
