CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — Dozens of commuters in Chula Vista sat and waited for their bus to arrive.
“There’s been a lot of delays,” said commuter Amadeo Elaas.
Some buses came 30 minutes late.
“Sometimes I feel frustrated, but I have this patience that I'm okay with waiting,” Elaas said.
“When I got off, and I didn’t see it there, I got worried because I knew it wasn’t coming,” said commuter Vanessa Ramos.
MTS says passengers should prepare for these delays for the rest of the week. That’s because almost 90% of South Bay bus drivers are on strike. They started protesting at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and said they'll continue 24/7 until Friday.
“This is the only tool that we have," said Daniel Ortega, a bus driver. "We don’t have any other way.”
Bus drivers say they want better working conditions.
“Being able to have lunch breaks, rest area to eat,” said Fausto Surposa, a bus driver.
The drivers are hired through a third-party company called Transdev. Transdev has been negotiating contracts with them since January.
“I didn’t want to, but we had to because the company refused to negotiate in good faith with us,” Ortega said.
A representative from Transdev sent 10News a statement, saying in part: "We have made good faith financial concessions, in addition to other important economic concessions and remain open to continued dialogue. We look forward to continuing respectful and productive discussions to find a resolution that meets the needs of our employees and aligns with the long-term sustainability of our business."
MTS says bus routes in the East County are operating normally, but as the strike continues, riders in the South Bay will see delays.
“It is a huge impact on everybody like us that rely on transportation,” Ramos said.
MTS says it is updating its website in real-time to let riders know which routes will be impacted.
Passengers can contact MTS Information & Trip Planning for trip planning assistance at 619-233-3004. MTS Access riders can contact at 888-517-9627 or visit sdmts.com/work-stoppage for recommended alternative transportation options.
