Cape Town - In what is believed to be an act of retaliation by taxi operators over a dispute with City officials regarding impounding of vehicles, another MyCiTi bus was set alight in the area.
Police are investigating a case of public violence after the bus was torched on Wednesday.
According to the City, at about 5.25pm a minibus taxi-related protest saw participants block the traffic circle in Imizamo Yethu.
Police spokesperson, FC van Wyk said reports showed that City traffic officials were busy with operations involving taxi drivers operating without route permits in Victoria Road.
“Three taxis were impounded.
“One person was arrested for failing to comply with a lawful instruction of a law enforcement officer and assault on a law enforcement official.
“The other drivers then turned onto a MyCiTi bus, stoned the vehicle and set it alight,” said Van Wyk.
Mayco member for urban mobility, Rob Quintas, said the burnt MyCiTi bus, which was servicing the route between the Adderley Street station in the Cape Town CBD and Hout Bay, was stoned when the bus driver stopped near the traffic circle to allow about 40 passengers to disembark.
“The bus driver was instructed to get out of the bus and it was set alight.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported. The protest followed after the City’s Traffic Services responded to reports that minibus taxis were ranking illegally in the area, and that some vehicles were operating without operating licences.
“It is understood that the Hout Bay Taxi Association was in discussions with the SAPS well into the evening,” said Quintas.
He said on Thursday a few minibus taxi drivers gathered again earlier in the morning but no incidents of violence were reported.
Last year scores of Hout Bay residents were left stranded as local taxis were not operating after taxi operators took to the streets due to the impounding of taxis deemed to be unroadworthy and unlicensed.
Private vehicles were pelted with stones and doused in petrol.
Hout Bay Taxi Association spokesperson, Samkelo Krweqe refuted the allegations against them, claiming taxi drivers were not involved in the violence of burning the bus, but it was opportunistic criminals in the community.
“The people knew there was a dispute with the City and saw the opportunity to tarnish our name as taxi operators.
“The dispute is the City’s fault, we had about 84 permits. Some expired and taxi drivers tried to renew them, some were rejected while others are still waiting to get them.
“We told the City not to impound vehicles of people who did apply because the delay is on their side, but they did.
“We only had a meeting with the police and are waiting for the City to call us to a meeting,” he said.
Cape Times