Cape Town – The latest attack on long-distance buses and drivers has been strongly condemned by the Western Cape MEC of Mobility, Daylin Mitchell.
Mitchell confirmed he had an urgent meeting with the CEO of Intercape Bus company along with the MEC of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagan Allen, following the shooting at an Intercape bus depot on Sunday.
A driver was shot at the company’s depot in Airport Industria.
He remains in critical condition in hospital.
“The continued brazen attacks on long-distance buses constitute organised crime, perpetrated by a criminal element, reportedly with links to the minibus taxi industry.
“When I first heard about the reported spike in attacks on buses on routes between the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape and Gauteng, I have taken steps to ensure that the matter has been brought to the attention of relevant authorities in the security and enforcement environment for the urgent co-ordination of investigations and interventions.
“After our meeting with various role-players in May, Premier Alan Winde wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa to request an urgent meeting and co-ordinated intervention at national level to combat extortion and racketeering in the public transport sector,” Mitchell said.
He said Ramaphosa referred the matter to the security cluster ministers but action on the part of Police Minister Bheki Cele, who is tasked with convening the crucial and urgent engagement, was still awaited.
Mitchell said he had instructed his department officials to check all long-distance bus operating licences and to impound all vehicles operating without – or contrary to the conditions of – operating licences.
“I also intend to raise the matter with the national Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula and my provincial counterparts in a MinMEC meeting to address the perception among bus operators that politicians and enforcement officials are failing in their duty by allowing a group of criminal extortionists to hold both the bus and minibus taxi industries hostage to their demands for price fixing by flooding routes with illegal operators while preventing legal operators from operating in certain areas.
“I have reiterated my instruction to Provincial Traffic to monitor long-distance bus operations and, with the support of the SAPS, be on the lookout for any ‘patrol vehicles’ that illegally stop and extort buses and other private vehicles along key routes between the Western Cape and neighbouring provinces,” Mitchell said.
He said the Western Cape government would not condone criminal acts of extortion, would not negotiate with or try to appease criminals and would not allow the rule of law to be compromised.
“Our first priority will always be to ensure the safety of commuters – and we will support every effort to root out the small criminal element that seeks to hijack the public transport industry for their own criminal agenda,” Mitchell said.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL