Durban - In a move to protect passengers and bus drivers, security has been beefed up along Cape Town highways following an arson attack on a MyCiTi bus on Wednesday.
It is alleged that a minibus protest was under way in the area and those involved in the protest blocked a traffic circle.
"A MyCiTi bus servicing the route between the Adderley Street station in the Cape Town CBD and Hout Bay was stoned when the bus driver stopped in the vicinity of the IY (Imizamo Yethu) traffic circle to allow approximately 40 passengers to disembark. The bus driver was instructed to get out of the bus and it was set alight," said City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas.
He said one person has since been arrested.
The protests erupted after the City's traffic officials responded to reports that mini bus taxis were ranking illegally in the area and some were operating without licences.
Quintas said the Hout Bay Taxi Association was in talks with police and drivers gathered again on Thursday morning, but no violent incidents had been reported.
Quintas said officers from Metro Police, Traffic Services and Transport Enforcement Unit have been deployed to patrol the Hout Bay and Imizamo Yethu areas.
"I want to make it unequivocally clear to those who are hell-bent on disrupting and sabotaging the City of Cape Town’s MyCiTi bus service that we will not tolerate any violence and attacks," he said.
Quintas added that in these hard times where Capetonians have to battle unemployment, constant load shedding and the high cost of living, the City will do all its can to ensure commuters have a reliable and safe public transport service.
Three days ago, a MyCiTi bus caught alight on the N2, near Langa. The bus driver and about 60 passengers managed to disembark from the bus unharmed.
IOL