POTCHEFSTROOM SHUTTLE SERVICES: THE GOOD AND THE BAD

Abygail Smit

@Abysmit06 

 

While many students make use of their own vehicles for transport, there are a number of students attending the North-West University (NWU) who often use shuttle services to travel. These services can range from being extremely trustworthy, to a student feeling threatened and scared.

 

According to Travelleeto, a website containing information about shuttle services in South Africa, the four best shuttle services in Potchefstroom are ShuttleHub, LimeTime Shuttle, Citybug and Loktion Shuttle. These services are only just a few of the many that students use to either travel from their residences to campus or from Potchefstroom to cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria.

 

Recently, I had a negative experience with a shuttle service named Door2Door Shuttles. Being from Namibia, my roommate and I wanted a travel company that could take us from Potchefstroom to the O.R. Tambo airport on Friday, 26 September 2025. Our parents found the company via a Namibian student WhatsApp group. The service is very convenient because the driver fetches you from your place of residence, and takes you to any of their listed locations. From the get-go, my roommate and I were extremely uncomfortable. The were two middle aged men that drove us, not just one as advertised. At the start of the trip, the one driver asked us if we smoke, and after declining, the drivers said that we would stop for them to have a smoke break.

 

Uncomfortable and nervous, my roommate and I spoke to our parents about the situation while in the car, and they immediately phoned the owner to address the situation. The first driver also couldn’t drive the car effectively, and was struggling to shift gears. After all of this was mentioned to the owner of the company, he phoned the other man and told them to switch, and not stop until we are at the airport.

 

The trip went from bad to worse. What started as slow now turned into the other driver speeding at an average of 140km/h. This was undoubtedly a very scary and nerve-wracking experience for two young ladies who just wanted to get home.

 

Tammy de Vos, a first-year student at NWU, says she uses Bolt, a tech-driven, app-based travel company. De Vos uses the company to travel to campus, to work, or to Johannesburg to visit her boyfriend. With an average of R500 a month, de Vos would recommend Bolt to other people as long as they’re careful and observant. Using an app for travel purposes is very convenient, as it provides proof of previous bookings and a history of purchases. Bolt also provides your driver’s name and the car registration number for easy identification.

 

Public transport is not only a very popular form of transport, but an economic booster as well. It is clear that a lot of South African citizens make use of public transport, like buses and taxis. Most students use shuttle services every day. It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of our peers and ourselves. It is very important to report on incidents where these services make you or someone you know feel unsafe. That being said, it is also important to report on the services that are helpful and reliable.

 

Edited by Simoné de Witt