Investigation into MyCiTi bus fire under way

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Published Jan 9, 2023

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Cape Town - The City of Cape Town said it will be investigating the cause of a fire that engulfed a MyCiTi bus on Monday morning along the N2 highway.

According to Cape Town Traffic Services spokesperson Kevin Jacobs, just before 8am traffic officers closed the two left lanes on the N2 inbound along Jan Smuts Drive.

The Jan Smuts off-ramp was closed to traffic.

Mayoral committee member for urban mobility councillor Rob Quintas said his directorate was investigating the matter.

The MyCiTi N2 Express bus was engulfed in flames. The bus driver and about 60 passengers managed to disembark from the bus unharmed.

Quintas said the bus was en route to the Civic Centre from Mitchells Plain when passengers alerted the bus driver about smoke coming from the rear end of the bus.

A MyCiTi bus caught alight on the N2 near Langa. Traffic officers have closed the two left lanes on the N2 inbound at Jan Smuts. The Jan Smuts Drive off-ramp has also been closed to traffic. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane African News Agency (ANA)

The driver pulled the bus over and all passengers were evacuated.

He said a replacement bus was on the scene in minutes to transport the passengers to the Civic Centre.

A MyCiTi bus caught alight on the N2 near Langa. Traffic officers have closed the two left lanes on the N2 inbound at Jan Smuts. The Jan Smuts Drive off-ramp has also been closed to traffic. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane African News Agency (ANA)

“We will investigate the cause of the fire with assistance from the vehicle operating company, independent assessors, insurers, and the vehicle manufacturer.

“Thus, more details will only be available once the assessments have been completed.

“More importantly, I’m extremely grateful that nobody was injured during this incident. I want to thank the passengers and the bus driver for staying calm and responsive, and I also want to express my appreciation to the SAPS and the City’s firefighters for their prompt assistance,” Quintas said.

robin.francke@inl.co.za

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