Poor conditions poor customer service and ****s

I am extremely disappointed with my recent experiences travelling with Greyhound and the way my complaints have been handled afterwards.

My first trip was from Johannesburg to Durban on 7 April 2026 (Ref: 121108 / Service Refs: GHBHJV8 & GHBHJV801). I was travelling with my two toddlers and the experience was honestly unacceptable from start to finish.

The bus arrived approximately an hour late with very little communication. When the bus finally arrived, there was complete chaos at the terminal. There was absolutely no crowd control or boarding system in place. Passengers pushed from all directions trying to force their way onto the bus while Greyhound staff and drivers stood by without intervening.

My toddlers were pushed, frightened, and distressed during the boarding process to the point where I personally had to shout at grown adults to behave appropriately around children. This was not only stressful but also a serious safety concern.

Once onboard, the conditions did not improve:

* The air conditioning was switched off for a large portion of the trip because one passenger was cold, leaving around 50–60 passengers in a hot, stuffy bus; * The bus eventually arrived in Durban around 20:00 instead of the scheduled 17:25; * There was a loud whining/mechanical sound coming from the rear of the bus throughout the journey; * Luggage procedures also appeared disorganised, with tags simply handed to passengers to attach themselves.

I have video evidence of the loud whining noise from the bus and was willing to provide it to Greyhound to assist with their investigation. However, the file was too large to send via email, so I requested an alternative method such as a WhatsApp number or another upload option. This request was not taken seriously and I was effectively told that it was “email or nothing,” despite my attempts to cooperate and provide supporting evidence.

After I formally complained, Greyhound acknowledged the issues and offered me a 10% discount on my next trip as a gesture of goodwill.

I accepted this in good faith and emailed them requesting the voucher code/instructions needed to redeem the discount. They never responded.

Because of their lack of response, I was forced to proceed with my next booking at full price.

Unfortunately, my second trip (Ref: 130042 / Service Ref: GHBIQ9O) once again involved unacceptable conditions:

* A strong urine smell near the toilet area; * Poor/inadequate air conditioning resulting in another hot and uncomfortable journey.

What is most disappointing is not only the repeated poor travel experience, but the lack of accountability afterwards. Greyhound acknowledged that it was unacceptable that the discount was never honoured and again apologised yet after further follow-up emails requesting resolution, they once again stopped responding.

At this point, it feels like customer concerns are acknowledged temporarily and then ignored once the company believes the matter will go away if ignored.

I have kept all correspondence and supporting evidence relating to these incidents.

I genuinely hoped Greyhound would make things right, especially after travelling under these conditions with young children, but the continued lack of follow-through and communication has been extremely disappointing.