Cape Town - Seven vehicles, two belonging to the City and five private, were torched in Nyanga yesterday, 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 protected the buses from intimidation and attack.
Golden Arrow Bus Service 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 to get home after work,” said Dyke-Beyer.
She said that since Friday at least 75 buses had been damaged by stone throwing and one had its tyres slashed. Dyke-Beyer said another bus and three company vehicles were also set alight.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said the protest was a response to an integrated taxi operation that was conducted in the Nyanga precinct, where vehicles were impounded for operating without permits.
Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) secretary Mandla Hermanus said they had heard of incidents relating to the burning of a bus in Nyanga. However, they could not confirm whether the perpetrators belonged to Cata, because no Cata-affiliated association was protesting.
Transport and Public Works MEC Daylin Mitchell called on those involved to refrain from what he labelled violent and criminal acts.
Mitchell said there should be no room for criminality or criminals in the taxi industry. "I have called an urgent meeting with leaders of the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) (today) and will decide my interventions thereafter."
Santaco provincial spokesperson Gershon Geyer condemned the violence, and hoped the police would arrest whoever was responsible for setting the bus alight.
“Santaco welcomes Mitchell’s request for a meeting to address this issue, as well as all other violence in the taxi industry,” he said.
Water and Waste Mayco member Xanthea Limberg said solid waste services had been disrupted because of protest. She said the disrupted services included refuse collection, cleansing (litter picking, clearing of illegal dumping and door-to-door refuse collection), drop-off facilities and refuse transfer station services.