The City of Cape Town has urged the South African Police Service (SAPS) to thoroughly investigate those responsible for violent attacks on Cape Town’s public transport system. A Golden Arrow bus driver was fatally shot in an attempted armed robbery in Nyanga while behind the wheel of a bus on Saturday night. The bus then ploughed into two homes. This attack followed in the same week that protesting minibus-taxi drivers stoned several MyCiTi and Golden Arrow buses. Apart from the violence, bus drivers and personnel at MyCiTi stations across the city were threatened.

The City’s Mayco member for transport, Brett Heron says the public transport system is already taking strain due to the unreliability of commuter rail. He says the ongoing targeting of public transport infrastructure and operators requires special attention from the justice cluster.

“I am shocked and sickened by this senseless attack and convey my condolences to the family of the deceased,” he told VOC Breakfast Beat.

“Over the past two to three years, our critical but ailing commuter rail system has also endured relentless attacks and vandalism. These have left the Metrorail service limping along, with devastating consequences for our commuters and our city’s economy.”

The constant attacks on Metrorail and the vandalism of the ageing infrastructure have displaced millions of commuters.

The latest data indicates that there were 2,7 million fewer rail journeys in Cape Town per month in 2016/17 when compared with 2015/16. This confirms that a significant number of commuters have already transferred to road-based transport – be it in private vehicles, or road-based public transport such as minibus-taxis or buses.

The Criminal Matters Amendment Act, which provides for stricter bail conditions and harsher sentences, including up to 30 years imprisonment for those caught and convicted of destruction of essential infrastructure such as transportation, has been in operation for over a year. It was intended to act as a deterrent against rising attacks on essential infrastructure.

“In recent times we have seen Metrorail trains, GABS buses, MyCiTi buses and stations destroyed and damaged in attacks that more often than not have nothing to do with transportation. Our transport infrastructure has become an easy target. Those who perpetrate these crimes need to face certain prosecution and conviction if we are to save the transport infrastructure we have from total destruction.”

Herron has the public and to support efforts in protecting the government’s assets – and most importantly the personnel who are the backbone of the bus services.

Anyone with information about the violent attacks is asked to contact their nearest police station. The public can also report vandalism and other important information to the City’s Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63.

“All of our residents must join us in condemning the violent attacks. It is the communities who are dependent on public transport for their mobility who suffer the most – key among them women and children. Lower-income families spend, on average, up to 43% of their monthly income on transport costs and in some parts of Cape Town the costs are as high as 60%,” said Herron.

“In the meantime, I want to assure residents that the City of Cape Town will do everything within our means to ensure commuter safety, as well as the safety of those employed by our public transport services.”