Williams Coach Tours practices bad business and travelling ethics!

Good Day, I have a complaint regarding my long distance bus trip to George this passed week. My girlfriend Coleen bought our tickets for the trip at the Pick n Pay, at the mall close to her home (Reference number 20401880133. Trans Id 13181001520629140429). She explained to them that we were four passengers travelling though the youngest is just 6 years old. The lady behind the counter explained to her that he too will have to pay the full price, which made perfect sense as we do not want him to be seated on our laps for the six hour trip as this could be uncomfortable for every party involved. She then paid the full price which amounted to R2 800.00 for the a return trip for the four of us.

Though the bus was a bit late and the onboard passengers scattered about as many of them are travelling by themselves which caused us to sit quite far apart. Each one of us had a fairly comfortable seat to enjoy the long road trip to George for our little getaway vacation. We were picked up at the Parc Du cap in Bellville at about 19H45 and we were shortly on our way. The driver both seemed well rested and as excited for the trip as what we were. Mind you, this being our first trip together on the bus, Williams Coaches, as well as the first bus trip ever for both boys. There were three stops along the way before we got off at our stop at the Oasis BP petrol station on the edge of George. We had arrived shortly after 01H30 in the early hours of the morning. Both boys up and about fueled by excitement and the sweet fresh air of holiday.

We were to enjoy a full week and depart the following Tuesday night at 23H30, as this was the earliest convenient return trip available. This was also the start of our problems and the beginning of my complaint. The bus had arrived on time that cold late evening. The first thing we noticed was that there was many more luggage on board than the previous trip up to George. We of cause had travelled as light as we could with just the four of us needing three bags. I remember the driver telling one of the passengers when we boarded that it was only one bag per customer allowed. This had seemingly gone out the window as the compartments below the bus was chock and block full of bags and other various items. Nonetheless, our bags were forced in quite abruptly and we then boarded the bus. The only available seats were the ones just behind the drivers and the two boys took up those seats immediately. But as soon as they seemed to get comfortable, one of the drivers shook his head and stated that it was simply not allowed for them to be seated there as they both were just too young. This being that late in the evening with the boys only needing a seat to enjoy a good rest while we were on our way back home I found it ridiculous as the bus had absolutely no other seats available from where I stood. The bus driver of cause disagreed, and told the boys to follow him all the way to the back of the bus where just one seat was available and of cause the six year old was now told that he was too young to enjoy a seat of his own and will now need to sit on someone's lap all the way back home for the six hour trip after we were told that he would have to pay the full price just like everyone else but without the seemingly beneficial seat of his own. Without much complaint on my side, we departed the town of George. No reason to complain to the guy who literally is in charge of your safe arrival back home. No point in having an upset pilot in the ****pit. I sucked it up and tried as best I could to enjoy the trip back home to Cape Town.

The idea of a bus trip was something different for us to enjoy together. We had originally thought that we would spend the entirety of the trip in seats close together. We a family and this is what we wanted. Though it is understandable that this is simply not possible without other passengers also agreeing to swop seats etc. which is not very likely anyhow. The core of this review is the fact that I needed to pay the full price for a child only to be told that he does not get to sit on his own seat as he is too young. Why then pay the full price?

What became painfully obvious was the fact that the bus was overloaded, as people sat in the isles especially in front of the toilets. Why is this allowed at all? What is point of having a prescribed seating arrangement if it was not to be followed? With all the road accidents and deaths especially on these long trips, why is it that these buses are not regularly checked and stopped and their weight calculated more regularly just like what is done with the long haul trucks and their weights?

Maybe I do not understand this fully and if so please help me understand. But, Williams Coaches to me, are just a bunch of thieves who run their business no different to that of a taxi. Peoples lives are at stake and it doesn't seem to matter to them. As of yet they have not responded to the email I have sent the very morning of my return on the 6th July 2022. I hope this platform has just a bit more luck in evoking a response from this so called bus company.