Rasaad Adams|Published
Commuters travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town say they feared for their lives after their bus allegedly ran out of diesel twice, leaving them stranded for hours before they were taken to a depot in Philippi, where their luggage was targeted by would-be thieves.
The Delta Coaches bus was travelling to Cape Town on 8 October 2026 when it reportedly ran out of diesel near the Huguenot Tunnel on the N1 near Paarl.
A passenger, who asked not to be named, told IOL Media that the ordeal left him traumatised and frustrated at how the bus company handled the situation.
Passengers describe delays near Paarl
The Cape Town resident had travelled to Joburg to attend a family member’s funeral.
“This happened while we were approaching Cape Town on the N1 near Paarl. They did manage to get diesel, but this was only enough to get us to Paarl. When we got to Paarl, the bus ran out of diesel again.”
Pictures shared with IOL Media show passengers attempting to push the bus after it allegedly ran out of diesel.
Passengers reportedly spent several hours stranded in Paarl, with some eventually deciding to hitchhike and book e-hailing services to reach their destinations in Cape Town.
“We asked why the bus company could not arrange for another bus to come and pick us up. Some of the passengers even started hiking and booking cabs to get to Cape Town,” he said.
The passenger claimed that shortly after midnight on 9 October, a tow truck arrived to transport the bus, with passengers allegedly still inside, to a depot in Philippi.
Company disputes towing claims
“Imagine! A bus with people on it being towed,” he said.
However, the situation allegedly took a turn when they arrived at the depot.
“We thought our nightmare had ended, but it was here that a group of young boys opened the bottom storage area of the bus and tried to steal our luggage,” he said.
According to the passenger, workers at the depot, some of whom were armed, fired a warning shot to scare the alleged thieves away.
Delta Coaches spokesperson Batho Yeni said the company categorically denied any knowledge of or involvement in a shooting incident.
“We have no record or report of such an incident involving our staff or in connection with this journey,” Yeni said, adding that the company would welcome further information to establish what happened.
Questions over passenger safety
Yeni also questioned the claim that passengers were inside the bus while it was being towed to Philippi.
“It would be highly unusual for a towing operator to agree to tow a bus while passengers remain inside, given the obvious safety implications,” she said.
The passenger said several people eventually made their own alternate arrangements to get home from the depot before the bus company organised vehicles to transport passengers to their destinations.
He said children and elderly passengers were among those on board and that they had run out of food and water during the ordeal.
“It was a horrific experience. I am so upset by how the company handled the whole situation. I will never be using this bus service again,” he said.
Yeni said mechanical breakdowns could happen despite regular maintenance and operational checks, but maintained that the company had made every reasonable effort to resolve the problems and get the bus operational again.