Harassed by driver on Bus 218 24 Dec 2020 14:00

I would like to express my extreme dissatisfaction with your service.

I have always loved Intercape but unfortunately my experience this December has changed my view of your company.

On 24 December 2020, I was supposed to board Bus 220 at 14:00 to Bloemfontein from Pretoria, however, due to mechanical issues with the Bus, myself and other passengers going to Mosselbay had to board Bus 218 in Bosman and were told we would catch our correct Bus at Park Station. I understand the circumstances were unforeseen, however, the way the Driver approached me was very unprofessional and rude. I mistakenly pasted my luggage locator ticket on my boarding pass and when the driver, the tall black skinny Xhosa-speaking guy took my boarding pass, he started shouting at me and told me I messed up and also, this is not even our bus...this was infront of people and he spoke to me like I am a 5 year old. He did not even sanitize me even though he was holding the sanitizer.

When we got to Park Station, after waiting for close to an hour, another gentleman who was wearing a green shirt and introduced himself as the fleet manager, asked us, people going to Bloem, to return to the bus 218 that was heading to PE. When I got to the door, again, the same driver shouted at me and asked me who told me to enter the bus. I told him it’s his colleague. He then shouted at me again for the same thing - the luggage sticker which is on the boarding pass- told me I messed up and that I should just go upstairs and see how I fix that mess because he’s certainly not gonna fix it but he will be back upstairs to collect the boarding pass.

We stopped at the Garage in Kroonstad. Just before we left, the same driver came upstairs and asked “who was supposed to be going to Mosselbay “. I kept quiet and after he had asked that about 3 times, I raised my hand and said “I am going to Bloem”. He came close and rudely asked me “how did you get into this bus?”. I explained to him again that his colleague is the one who asked myself And 7 other people to get into the bus. In an effort to remind him, I showed him I am the lady who has mistakenly pasted the luggage sticker on the boarding pass. At this point, I had managed to separate that sticker from the boarding pass and had the pass in my hand so that he can collect it as promised. He pulled that ticket from me and said “how did you get in the bus with this ?, you’re a *****!!” He was saying this in Xhosa and the guy who was sitting next to me said “she can’t really hear you, she’s not good in Xhosa” and this driver said “she can hear me very well!”. I felt so humiliated because all this was happening infront of everyone. The people nearby are witnesses because in all my interactions with that driver, never did I raise my voice or speak to him in a disrespectful manner. I remained humble and calm at all times.

I felt like I asked for a lift from Intercape and not like a paying customer. If this is the manner in which your drivers treat people, I urge you to have them undergo serious training. That guy is one of the rudest people I’ve ever met. I never complain as I believe there’s always a reasonable explanation but after the humiliation I went through, I felt compelled to write this e-Mail. After this traumatic interaction with that man, I will never use Intercape.