Intercape
reviews and complaints

I am currently taking the intercape bus from Uitenhage to Johannesburg at 18:15 on the 16th of January 2021. The one driver never had his mask on only the African one had his mask on since I enter the bus at Uitenhage. Passengers had their mask away only some out their masks on. They didn't even take our temperatures. The Bus service is operating as if we are not facing a pandemic I feel so unsafe here. What protocols do y'all have in place to minimize our risk of getting this virus when making use of your bus? I am definitely considering reporting y'all because this is not the first time. Flights are also a form of transport and they have protocols in place why don't you guys have and enforce any?

The service offered by Intercape is absolutely appalling! They take the passenger's contact details as well as the contact details of the person who booked/paid for the ticket.

However that information is not utilized as and when it should be. A bus was booked for a passenger to travel from Worcester to Johannesburg. The bus arrived at the Mountain Mill Mall bus store - however it was completely branded in DHL Stormers Sponsorship decals! The company name "Intercape" is written very small above the headlight and right at the back of the bus. The only clearly visible wording was DHL. The passenger therefore did not recognize the bus as Intercape - (note that she is not a regular long distance bus user) - and the bus left without her boarding. No call was received by the booker of the ticket nor the passenger! Why does Intercape request contact details when they will not be used..?

We called the call centre and had a complaint logged - C119958 - was the ref number given. Today a lady from the complaints department called and informed us it was the passenger's fault that she did not board the bus. She was supposed to go to the bus to enquire whether it was Intercape or not..! REALLY..!?
Is Intercape the only bus service that travels this route..? So the passenger must go to every bus stopping to ask whether it is an Intercape bus or not..?

This lady also told us that "It doesn't matter" that the wording - Intercape - was written very small on the bus in question..! REALLY..?!

The resolution she presented was for Intercape to offer us a voucher for the ticket price minus a certain percentage. This is not acceptable to us - the only resolution we want is a full refund!
We had to purchase another ticket for a bus that was travelling the same route in the evening of the same day so the passenger could still travel and get to the desired destination on the planned date.

Intercape - is treating passengers and clients in a dishonourable way good for your business..?

Worse possible bus. First I was suppose to be on the 11:35 mainliner but the bus drove right pass and never stopped to pick me up in sedgefield. When I called it was said that my bus will be coming in 10 min. That was at 11:45. At 12:15 a bus picks me up and I very soon realized that it was not the bus I booked for. It was horrible. No AC or ventilation whatsoever. I felt like passing out the entire time. I will never ever book on the inter cape again and am very dissatisfied.

Driver does not wanf to swich off aircons and its cold we ased him and he sad its yhe pfocedure so i feel so uncomfortable becouse of aircome my nose has been running since

Passenger left behind.
Driver did not accept validity of ticket due to no route no. Said passenger must take next bus. New ticket had to be bought in order to get home.

Need a refund for ticket on the 4th of Des as mistake was made by Intercape busdriver and not by customer as implied by customer service when a complaint was lodged at Inter Cape customer care.

The complaint is as follows:
Date : 20 November 2020
Scheduled departure time: 01H55
Pick up stop: Butterworth EC.
Destination: Pietermaritzburg
Scheduled arrival time: 09H35
Issuer Reference: 2011200155CB080
Reference number: B51QMXQ / L55MA4QB
Service Number: IM0155
Bus number: 920

I, Sipho Nhlapo, wish to lodge a complaint about the treatment my wife received from your bus on the 20 November 2020.
I booked for my wife, Zola Nhlapo on the 18 November 2020 at Rock Cottage Checkers store.
The bus arrived in Butterworth one and half hour late without any information about the lateness. To rub salt into the wound, the bus did not stop to pick up my wife.
when she realized that it did not stop she called the call center and she was advised to chase it to the next stop in Idutywa 30km away.
She had hired a car to the bus stop and now she was asked to chase the bus. Luckily the hired car was still there. She had to negotiate to chase after the bus which was supposed to have turned back to pick her up.
Being a loyal customer, I feel aggrieved and disappointed by the treatment to my wife. I imagine if the hired car had left her because of the lateness of the bus and the bus drove past what could have happened to her at that time of the night.
The driver was not remorseful he instead said she was not on the passenger list. How could that be when she had a reference number?
Kindly make a follow up on this matter and give me the report in writing within 14 days of receipt of this complaint.
Your aggrieved loyal customer
Sipho Nhlapo
[protected] / [protected]
[protected]@gmail.com

The bus was 2 hours late and stopped where there was no shops and the places that had shops we stopped for only 15 mins. You cant go use the restroom and order food and get back on the bus in 15 mins. The toilet on the bus couldnt be used because there was nobody to sanitise it but ppl got so desperate because the bus didnt stop for us to use the facilities at stops for more than 5 hours at a time...poor poor service and i will never use this bus service ever again nor will i tell ppl to use this bus service. Its an absolute disgrace ur services.

Route 2105IS Friday 11th of September 2020 Welkom to Johannesburg.

Your bus driver did not stop in Welkom, my parents Gerhard and Bets Roux 80 years old had to chase after the bus waving there tickets to stop him.

When he eventually stopped to pick them up, they had to keep there bags at there feet till the next stop, from there they have put the luggage in the luggage compartment.

I do not now if the route is to go threw back streets and informal settlements at Vereeniging, but was not on the highway. It was my mother's 80th birthday on friday, i thought i will treat them to come with the bus to Johannesburg to visit.

The bus arrived 1/2 hour late at Johannesburg station. When i ask the driver why he did not stop to pick my parents up in Welkom he just said they was not there, as this was not true, because there pastor took them to the bus stop and waited with them to get on the bus. At Johannesburg station i Elize Prinsloo who bought the tickets ask the driver why he did not stop at Welkom driving right threw, his answer was that they where not there. He then turned his back on me and went and climb back in the bus.

I am very shocked with this as this is old people and the 1st time on the bus. To me this is unacceptable, i would appreciate if you can please reply to my complaint.

Ticket numbers: [protected] and 1109202105x7469.

kind regards
Elize Prinsloo
[protected]

The service has deteriorated to such low levels, I have been loyal to intercape for many years.
I booked a bus for my wife and kids for the 19.07.2020, they were turned back at the station by the driver because they didnt have a permit, my money wasnt refunded, i have no idea why was this. What makes me furious is the below, and the ignorance im getting from intercape staff when dealing with my complain, no one is able to answer why my money is taken.

Note that i booked again for the 20th/07/2020 for a bus from idutywa to johannesburg, suprisingly no driver or any bus staff asked for a permit, not even one traveller was asked for a permit. Why were my wife and kids turned back on the 19/07/2020.
Is there no standard procedure for all your buses.

Why forfeit my money

This has been the 4th time im waiting for a bus here in sedgefield. And every time it arrives 45min to an hour late. This is ridiculous and bad customer service given. If im late the driver won't wait an hour or more, or even contact me to ask when will i be at the bus stop. Intercape this is very poor service given from your side

I am very disappointed on how the intercape company operates. It is inconsiderate and unrealistic. I am disappointed on how they handle customers who are late even by a minute. This policy of 100% cancellation fee when you are late is unrealistic considering the fact that other people depend on public transport which at times gets delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. I got to my departure point 5 minutes late because of public transport issues which if were not faced I'd be an hour early. The company can't even at least charge penalty fees for late arrival. I thought this was the best bus company till today.

Yesterday I booked a ticket from Queenstown to Johannesburg, I was told to be there at 19:30 as the bus was leaving at 20:00 (02/01/2020) indeed I was there but the bus only arrived at 20:00 and we left the Sasol Garage at 20:30, there worse part of them all we got stuck after we left Queenstown and i think we were heading to King Williams town. we were stuck for 5 hours with no communication and the only thing we were told is they are trying to find a mechanic that comes from East London to fix the bus and indeed the Mechanic came but could not fix the bus and he left and after waiting for so long the other bus arrived and to my surprise the bus had no windows they were replaced by board and mind you I was sitting by the window and i was freezing.
As i am writing this complaint, I'm still on my way to Johannesburg with the bus that was supposed to be in Johannesburg at 07:00 this morning and I was supposed to be at work this time. Intercape really don't care about customers but they only care about their pockets because if intercape was servicing their buses every time the about to take a new journey this could have been avoided and it's our lives for goodness sake.
Pissed beyond.

POOR SERVICE - My daughter was sick so she and her mother could not make it to the bus that day as they were in casualty for treatment after requesting medical proof Intercape still did not refund or transfer the ticket because the ticket is on the mother's name and not on my 1-year-old daughter's name. You be the judge. Pathetic service and such desperation for money for a supposedly Christiaan company. Not to mention the consultants are rude and zero customer service. Windhoek office robbed me my hard-earned cash for something out of my control, No compassion.🙁

I am very disappointed in Intercape.
We booked tickets for my sister and her kids to come visit us.
First of all the air-con didn't work nor do the plugs for to charge the phones.
They fixed the air con but now it doesn't work again.
There is pee all over the toilet floors you cannot expect n women nor children to use toilets like that. The employees the one driver is so rude my sister kids had to eat and they just said the places is closed they going to keep on driving. They don't stop for anyone to use a clean toilet or get water or food. When the air con did work the water was running out on one of the seats.
It's pathetic i would say i will never recommend anyone to use this bus service i am really disappointed!

I have never been so uncomfortable at a bus for all 28years of my life, this is the first ime I have faced being skwashed and in a bus were every stop we in there is no air con. The bus drivers dont care and I have have spend more money then I ever have on a bus. USB ports for chargers dont work and we are running late, I booked 17:30 knowing I'll be able to at work by 8:30 but I am still in Cape Town at this hour (19h56). This is my first experience with Intercape and it's the worst experience ever for my R1125 but I had the best experience with citiliner with only R320 from Cape Town. I am not happy with your bus and service at all. Everyone here is camplaining

Seems like here comes another compliant that won't be resolved, and I'm sure I'm complaining about things that were complaint about, two years ago, as well ...
I have also been a happy and always supportive client of Intercape, until today, and no more ...
The toilet is either broken or so dirty that, the bus driver stops next to the road, and hands special clients a roll of toilet paper, . I am saying special clients, because when I, and many, also wanted to urinate, I was denied . . .
The 15 min refreshment stops are at the drivers discretion, if you're a young lady, you can have up to a half hour at a refreshment stop, otherwise, just shut up and sit down, I was told, so yes, another rude driver, a rotten potato, influencing a friendly co-employee of Intercape . . .

This will be my last trip making use of Intercape, no more, [censored] you all

I've been taking intercape bus between PE and Durban for more than a dozen times this year. The drivers have such a terrible service. Very rude to passengers. Spend whole night talking bad about passengers.
Last night one driver was busy hitting on the young woman sitting in front. He's asking to suck their breast.
On the previous trip they denied us 2 of the refreshment stops: Mthatha & EL. When asked by passagers to stop at regular refreshment stop, they replied "sisebenza ngeskhathi la. Akukho muntu ozakwehla". Translated "we work with time here. Nobody is getting off". This morning they are playing loud Kwayto music on top of the loud TV volume. One driver just threw an empty packet of sweets on the passage without even thinking about it.
I don't even want to mention the depressing and gloomy movies they play, with crying people and drowning boys. It makes you feel so depressed after 11hours on road.
The seating arrangement is chaos. On top of that the bus is late.

Good day.. On thursday the 31st of October 2019 me and my family was on route from Springbok to Cape Town. At 21h35 as we were on the N7 almost in Citrusdal an Intercape bus saw me approaching and decided to turn in infront of me to the Caltex Garage i had to brake and swirf to the other side of the road in the oncoming vechile lane should there have been vechiles me and m family would have been in an accident.