With families preparing for long trips to spend New Year's Day with loved ones, the Puma Loading Terminal at Keetmanshoop is gearing up for an influx of public transport commuters.

The usual rush, characterised by long lines and extended waiting hours due to a shortage of minibuses, was noticeably absent today.

Terminal spokesperson Zola Mukanga expressed confidence that commuter volumes would increase during the week.

"Normally in the transport business, the peak time starts by 1 December. Since 1 December, there has been a large volume of commuters picking up throughout the month. We were struggling with transport, and people were sitting, waiting. Every day we had like four or five buses. I was finishing loading at ten o'clock in the evening—those four or five buses—then waiting for buses to return from Windhoek."