By Anita Dangazele
- Yanga Fulumeni from George says holiday bus prices are too high and some buses never arrive, so she switched to long distance taxis.
- She now travels to Mthatha by taxi every term, saying it is affordable, on time and even drops her at her front door.
Yanga Fulumeni used to travel home to Mthatha by bus at the end of every school term. But after several bad experiences, she now takes long distance taxis, and she says she’s never going back.
The 21-year-old student lives in George in the Western Cape but travels home to the Eastern Cape during the holidays. She says buses were once her only option. But that changed when prices shot up and service got worse.
“This other year, I almost didn’t go home for Christmas because the bus tickets were too expensive,” she said.
“Then someone told me about long distance taxis. I had never thought of them before because I always heard about taxi accidents.”
But she gave it a try.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the price — it stayed the same even during the holidays. The taxi picked me up and dropped me right at my house. I’ve been using taxis ever since.”
Yanga said she had many problems with bus companies.
“They don’t always arrive. Sometimes they come late or not at all. And when they do come, they’re full already because they pick up passengers along the way
She said her complaints to the companies were ignored.
“With taxis, I know where to go if there’s a problem. But in three years, I’ve never had any issues. It’s reliable and affordable — it works for me.”
Pictured above: Long distance taxis at a rank in the Eastern Cape.
Image source: Supplied
