Up to 150,000 commuters a day across KwaZulu-Natal could be left without transport from next week, as 20 contracted bus operators warn they may be forced to halt services over unpaid government subsidies.
The potential shutdown threatens services stretching from the South Coast to northern parts of the province, raising the prospect of widespread disruption if the outstanding payments are not made.
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The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) issued the warning, citing a breakdown between the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and the contracted commuter bus operators, who say they have not received subsidy payments in line with signed agreements.
This has placed sustained pressure on the operators’ finances and raised the prospect of a province-wide suspension of services.
Among the affected companies are South Coast Bus Service, Metro Bus Service and Combined Transport Services, all of which have indicated that they may be forced to halt operations if the outstanding subsidies are not paid.
Confirming the looming disruption, COSATU spokesperson Zanela Sabela explained that the affected operators had outlined their financial position in correspondence addressed to the South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council (SARPBAC).
According to Sabela, the operators warned that they would be unable to continue transporting passengers to workplaces, schools, universities, hospitals and other destinations should the outstanding subsidies remain unpaid.
“The KZN DoT is in breach of contract, as it has not paid subsidies since April this year, the passenger bus companies maintain. Subsidies are meant to be paid monthly. The companies say they have had to dig deep into their reserves to ensure services to commuters across KZN were not disrupted in the past few months,” said Sabela.
She further noted that rising fuel costs, including the most recent diesel price increase, had added to the financial pressure facing the operators.
According to Sabela, their financial reserves have now been exhausted.
“Worse still financial institutions are unwilling to grant further extensions on their credit lines,” she added.
Compounding the situation, Sabela indicated that employee salaries had also been paid from these reserves in recent months.
“If the subsidies are not paid within this week, the consequences will be dire,” she warned.
Although she did not have the exact amount outstanding at hand, Sabela said it ran into millions of rands, with payments allegedly not having been made since April 2026.
Sabela further explained that SARPBAC General Secretary Gary Wilson had engaged the National Department of Transport regarding the matter.
According to her, Wilson was informed that the subsidy allocation had already been transferred to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport.
“The question then arises, why have funds not been transferred to the bus companies? There is clearly a problem at a provincial level,” said Sabela.
Should the operators suspend their services next week, commuters could be left without transport to access workplaces, schools, universities and healthcare facilities, while the provincial economy could face significant disruption.
COSATU has also warned that more than 1,000 jobs could be placed at risk, carrying further consequences for workers and their households.
Speaking to Newcastillian News, Sabela emphasised the scale of the potential disruption, noting that approximately 150,000 commuters a day could be affected across KwaZulu-Natal if the operators halt their services.
The affected routes span coastal regions, urban centres, smaller towns and secondary cities, highlighting the province-wide impact of any suspension.
“If you look at it, it is 20 bus companies across KwaZulu-Natal, which is a large number of companies, so it is going to impact the entire province, and the taxi sector cannot be expected to pick up the flak due to the expected increase in commuters if the bus companies do stop their services next week,” stressed Sabela.
She added that routes and towns throughout the province could be affected.
Furthermore, Sabela confirmed that, as of Thursday, 6 August 2026, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport had not indicated when the outstanding subsidies would be paid.
COSATU is now calling on both the National Department of Transport and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government to intervene urgently and ensure that the payments are made within the week.
“The Federation calls on all stakeholders to do all in their power to avoid this impending disaster because it will affect the working class and the poor the worst,” concluded Sabela.
Newcastillian News submitted a formal media enquiry to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport. However, no response had been received at the time of publication.
With operators warning that their financial reserves have been exhausted, the coming days will determine whether the threatened shutdown can be averted or whether thousands of commuters across KwaZulu-Natal will be left searching for alternative transport from next week.
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