Complete Booking Failure and Disregard for Passenger with Limited Mobility – Intercity Bus Services

I am lodging this complaint regarding Intercity Bus Services bookings STCM8A503 and STCM8A502. On 26 November, my sister, Adele Loubser, booked two seats from Pietermaritzburg to Kempton Park. She had recently undergone knee surgery, walks with a crutch, and specifically requested front seating. This request was confirmed in writing by Intercity booking agent Nkosikhona. On our outbound journey on 17 December, the driver had not been informed of this request. To his credit, he made a plan and seated us in front. We were advised to notify head office of the miscommunication, which we did. Despite multiple follow-up calls on 27 December and again early on 28 December, Intercity failed to honour the confirmed request for our return journey. We were repeatedly told drivers had not yet been allocated and were later informed that seating is “first come, first served,” directly contradicting the written confirmation we received. At the pickup point, the driver could not assist as the front seats were already occupied. To further worsen the situation, at Heidelberg passengers were forced to move from a modern bus to an old, rusted bus with no working air conditioning and extremely uncomfortable seating due to overbooking and poor planning. We were separated and instructed where to sit, and I personally had to move three heavy suitcases between buses without assistance. The drivers were clearly not at fault and were left to manage frustrated passengers while supervisors shouted new instructions with little regard for passenger comfort, safety, or wellbeing. This experience was deeply distressing, particularly for a passenger recovering from surgery. It raises serious concerns about Intercity’s booking systems, staff training, and handling of passengers with special needs. Intercity advertises “premium service at affordable prices.” Our experience was anything but premium. I am awaiting a formal response and accountability from Intercity Bus Services.