Remant Alton is the name of the company that took over the old DTMB, and they have done precious little in terms of upgrading their fleet or making their service more appealing to your run-of-the-mill Joe Public (i.e: Poor Sodding Shmoes Who Don't Have Cars). According to reports the Mac Daddy of Remant Alton lives in a large mansion on Marine Drive and all his kids drive the mamba series Mercs. And here we plebs must live with kak service. Hmmm.
I will admit that they have invested in some new busses, the big ones, which is all good and well, but as far as Mynahs are concerned I'm pretty sure what they've touted as 'new' busses are in fact the same old Mynah chassi's with new bodywork..thus the GRRRAACHHKKK, GREEEAACHHYYJJKKK they make when changing gears - those poor bastard Merc engines have been caning it since 1989..a long time.
When I was but a sprog I can remember this really outdated, archaic system of telling how long it would take for the bus to come - it was called a Bus Timetable. I know, I know, such an unfeasible concept, I mean, how can you possibly predict how long a bus will take to get from A to B? I ask you with tears in my ass. Anyway, as you may have noticed, Bus Timetables no longer exist, at least in their old form, which was, conveniently, attached to the Bus Stop pole. A Bus Stop was, for those of you who have only ever caught taxi's (because we all know that taxi's, unlike the 'normal' busses, come past every minute) was an actual place designated for busses to stop at. No, really. I kid you not.
I know, I know, it boggles the mind. Timetables and regularly-serviced busses and these 'Bus Stops' - how absurd! And we can't have things running on time and things being reliable, I mean, you can't have that, be reasonable!

i see the prob with the local transport service and think that while the new people mover system will be fantastic for the city, it will not be extensive enough initially, but is a fantastic start!

As umhlanga is developing into a thriving zone itself, moreland in partnership with the city are soon to launch an umhlanga bus service that covers the entire umhlanga and la lucia areas solely with a bus every 15mins. This will connect with the durban transport service from umhlanga to the city and with the people mover service that will also have an umhlanga link (be it bus or tram, but doubt the tram will cover the umhlanga leg, it will stay in the inner city area).

These are positive developments for teh people mover service will run from 0500 to 0030 with all the security bells and whistles. i have all the timetables and what not. i could do a piece on it here like i have in the ssc sa forum.

The biggest change needed however is a mindset one. As sad as road deaths are, i feel nothing for a person who killed themselves and others by driving drunk. Terrible and disgraceful. Whenever i go out for a late one i always take a cab home, theres no reason to do anything else and there are reasonable services available. i have a membership with an umhlanga company which covers unlimited night time journeys for the month. and it is very good value. works out to less than R30 a trip.

so guys act. but yes the transport system needs improving. but it is starting to

Lucky Umhlanganites get it all! What about us poor highway folks?! :)

What is this membership you're talking about? Is it like a goodfellas type of service?

I for one would like some details if you can give them.

But u have such tiny country lanes...i know what the drivers there are like...just as scary.

I dont think it is solely SA problem. from my experience driving standards all over the world have drastically fallen.

Regards the service, they only operate in the umhlanga and central area at present, they may expand. Dont forget that with the mass of development and people moving in umhlanga is turning into a serious city, we need the transport developments

Hello! Yep it is dodgy, although not as bad as some countries I've heard - in places like Egypt and Thailand it's an absolute disaster.

Sure everyone knows that public transport is the way to go. How often I have heard this topic around a lunch table, and so the onslaught of bicycles, buses and being able to walk home with out the fear of being mugged. The government is "trying", by raising toll gate fees, I actually think there is this new idea of getting a discount for the more people in your car coming into play, but not to sure on that. Main point here is the cow train for 2010. billions are being spent, more billions are needed, and still, we are over budget! This world cup is going to be an embarrassment to us all. Its no longer going to be, "South Africa, majestic land of the big 5," No, now when foreigners
think of South Africa, " ohhhh, thats the country that successfully cocked up !"

Just so you know, the department of agriculture and conservation recently approved the new aligning ( the quickest and cheapest way between two points) of the cow train to cut through Centurion. Jozi I know, but it involves all of us, even Durban. This new idea was approved when most of the Centurion residents where away on holiday unable to object to returning to the dismal view of a concrete and steel over pass track scarring the land, which was originally intended to be subterranean. Please take time to realise that we are already over budget here and still it gets approved when reports say R500 million could be saved if original metropolitan tracks were to be used, along original routes, that originally pass cities, villages and key access points.

South Africa is a country that was built on railways. We have one of the best infrastructures of track in the world. From Capetown to Jozi, and we are wasting billions building from scratch. With those billions we could be able to maintain our rail ways. Think of a highway where one doesn't have to contend with 10 ton trucks overtaking on a downhill because all loads go by rail. Think of Cities with no grid lock, because it is safe to buy a ticket and travel.

Sometimes I think this country is run by chimpanzees. I have successfully come to the conclusion that if im ever in America and a "brother" turns to me and asks, "Have you ever been shot, bitch?" Ill simply reply, " Have you ever been stabbed in your lungs by a bicycle spoke?"

This country is going to the dogs...and I am that dog!

Hey kiddles, welcome aboard, gotta say you make a good point about investing in existing infrastructure, but I disagree that the World cup is going to be an embarrassment.

I would explain why, but I feel I would just be repeating what Chris Roper has already said on the subject... see his column link "SA must stay as it is for 2010" (click here) which he concludes with the paragraphs:

They're not here because they want it to be just like Germany, only with fewer Eurotrash. Do you really think they'll all go home and tell their friends, "Ooh, it was luvverly, just like being in Berlin. I'd go back there anytime, it's really worth travelling the extra few thousand miles to recreate exactly the experience I can get in any major European city."

No, let's give them South Africa as it really is, crap transport, laidback service (if we can improve to that point by 2010, I mean), and disorganised stadia. It's soccer, not rugby. Let's all just pray that England don't make it into the finals, though, because I do NOT want to see the look of horror on the face of Coleen McLoughlin, Rooney's girlfriend when she realises that, unlike back home, South Africans are mostly black.

Please read that link. I find it hits the nail on the head.

Crime of course is still a major problem... :(

Thanks capdog, pleasure to be here, finally a place where views can be expressed freely!

The blog is very well done. Maybe I was wrong in saying an embarrassment. I think there is a happy medium that we need to find here. South Africa has got a unique personality, one which I can say I love, and I'm sure many others do, too. But, this charm that the lucky few of us know, I think, has been hidden by more extremities such as the crime.

We will never be like Germany or any of the other European countries as as mentioned in Chris Roper's blog, "we're just not good enough!" Although we do have some damn good attractions.

The main point im trying to get here is the reasoning behind most of the decisions. Sure we could pull off a successful world cup, and then the headlines will come..."German citizen brutally murdered while waiting in line of stadium!" (this is the crime, not really my point)

Fact is, we're over budget. Things are not coming together as hoped. There are delays and hick ups. Here we are frantically running around planning a country's make over like a queen changing his wardrobe.

This world cup will show case what we are, and my fear is that it is going to be a biology project due in tomorrow morning done tonight.