Cape Town - Seven vehicles, two belonging to the City of Cape Town and five private, were torched in Nyanga this morning, allegedly by taxi operators.
Safety and security Mayco member JP Smith said City enforcement staff supported by the police went on an operation to stabilise the public transport situation in Nyanga and protect the buses from intimidation and attack.
Smith said Golden Arrow Bus Service (Gabs), in the interest of safeguarding their buses, moved the loading area to the side of the N2 on Borcherds Quarry Road and there were significant traffic, law enforcement and metro police as well as the police resources supporting the operation.
Gabs spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said that since Tuesday they had been operating from Borcherds Quarry as a precautionary measure.
“This cannot continue though as our passengers are being forced to walk long distances in order to access our services or get home after work,” said Dyke-Beyer.
She said that since Friday at least 75 buses had been damaged as a result of stone throwing, one bus had its tyres slashed, one bus was set alight and three company vehicles were also set alight.
Smith said three vehicle checkpoints were also conducted around the area, and that during the peak-hour traffic one or more Avanza vehicles moved about, petrol-bombing private vehicles, and it appears as many as seven vehicles were torched this morning – two belonging to the City and five private vehicles.
“This absolutely cowardly and criminal behaviour is reprehensible and puts commuters and others lives at risk,” he said. “The criminal action of torching one of the private vehicles in turn caused an informal residence adjacent to Klipfontein Road to catch light.”
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