Passengers of Intercity Express say they were left stranded “in the middle of nowhere” for over 10 hours after their bus broke down en route from Cape Town to Kimberley.
The 11-hour trip turned into 22 hours of hell for passengers, who accused the driver and company of not communicating with them.
Dominic Schouw, from Hanover Park, was on his way to meet his in-laws in Kimberly when the bus suddenly came to a standstill.
“We were about an hour and 40 minutes past the town of Laingsburg when the bus broke down. It was pitch dark, around 1am, and we didn't know what was happening,” he recalled.
“When the sun came up we noticed that there was oil coming from the bus; we asked about back-up, and were told by the driver that he did request it, and that was it.”
Dominic says mense started to panic, especially those with medical conditions as well as those with children.
“The driver was sitting on the opposite side of the road. The people were scared because they didn’t know what would happen, they even spoke about pushing the bus,” he added.
“Besides that, there was also a concern about safety. I just thank God that we were not harmed.”
Dominic says passengers should be financially compensated for their pyn en lyding.
Sanna Theunis, 57, added: “We didn’t have water or food because we were waiting for the bus to stop at a garage. We also had to stand on the side of the road and pee. It was humiliating to stand while trucks drove past and do your business. I also want a refund.”
A spokesperson for Intercity Express said on Sunday the company will be in contact with the stranded passengers.
“I’d like to apologise for the fact that passengers were on the breakdown for hours. At Intercity Express and Eagle Liner we take delays and breakdowns very seriously, so I’m deeply saddened to hear that they have encountered this problem.”