Cape Town – Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula’s continued “failure” to address the “life-threatening” situation affecting the long-distance coach industry, in particular Intercape, is a serious disregard for the lives of the passengers using the service.
This is according to the bus company, which has accused rogue taxi associations of being behind the over 150 recorded violent attacks on its vehicles, including the death of a bus driver earlier this year.
Intercape said the Eastern Cape was the epicentre of this violence, which forced the company to pull out of parts of the province.
After appealing for government intervention, including writing to President Cyril Ramaphosa, the company had approached the Eastern Cape High Court in Makhanda for protection and won its case. The court gave Mbalula and Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha 20 days to formulate a workable plan of action. Nqatha filed an action plan on October 28.
However, on the same day, Mbalula gave notice of his intention to apply for leave to appeal against the court order.
In a replying affidavit filed on Friday, Intercape CEO Johann Ferreira slated what he called Mbalula’s “ongoing disregard for the seriousness of the issues at hand”.
Ferreira said that notwithstanding the appeal, it was imperative that the crisis in the Eastern Cape be addressed without delay.
Ferreira said Nqatha’s safety plan failed to address concerns about so-called no-go areas for Intercape buses.
“The intervention measures specified in the plan are inadequate to provide for the reasonable protection of Intercape’s drivers and passengers,” Ferreira said.
The company has since asked Nqatha to prepare a revised action plan that takes into account its inputs and presents it for further consideration.
Spokesperson for Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, Lwazi Khoza said: "The Minister has noted the media statement issued by Intercape as well as its content. Ministry is at this point not at the liberty of responding due to the matter being an ongoing legal matter with possible future implications on all parties involved."
Cape Times