[PICS & VIDEO] Day one of taxi chaos: Buses torched, three arrested in violent shutdown
|Published
DAMAGES IN THE MILLIONS: MyCiTi bus on fire in Landsdowne Road during unrest in Khayelitsha
The two-day taxi strike descended into chaos after several buses were torched, while cops arrested three suspects in a taxi in possession of 13 petrol bombs.
The violent shutdown came about over the scrapping of the Blue Dot project which incentivises taxi drivers for good behaviour on the road, and has now led to Mobility MEC Daylin Mitchell threatening to take away operating licences from associations.
Meanwhile, Santaco said it was going ahead with the second day of the strike as they demand local government to expand the Blue Dot program.
Despite the heavy presence of SAPS and law enforcement, the chaos started shortly before 5am with most of the incidents reported in Khayelitsha.
Several Golden Arrow and MyCiTi buses were torched, a GABS bus was hijacked and two women were injured after they jumped out of a bus that was being shot at.
The City of Cape Town said a MyCiTi staff vehicle was stopped at 4.43am and its occupants were held hostage in an effort to prevent them from operating MyCiTi kiosks, while Gugulethu was declared a “no-go area” shortly after 5am.
A MyCiTi bus was also stoned at Imizamo Yethu at 9.14am.
Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, said: “A Golden Arrow bus was hijacked, but our undercover law enforcement officers were able to intercept the bus and arrest the hijacker.”
Reagen Allen, MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, said LEAP officers were deployed in MyCiTi and Golden Arrow buses following the attacks.
Thousands of commuters were left stranded, and one of them was 75-year-old Minah Shai, who struggled to get to her clinic appointment.
The pensioner from Khayelitsha H-Section said she was too scared to take a bus: “I was late for my appointment at 7am.
“I was very worried when I saw that there were no people in the buses.”
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa confirmed that SAPS members of the Western Cape flying squad busted three suspects and confiscated 13 petrol bombs in Delft.
She said that at about 10.45am, cops spotted a Toyota Quantum minibus and a car jaaging a furniture delivery vehicle on Delft Main Road.
She added that cops managed to stop the van and sedan and upon searching the vehicles, found the klomp petrol bombs.
“The suspects, between the ages of 28 and 32, are alleged to have strong links to the taxi industry and expected to appear in court as soon as they are charged in terms of the explosives act,” Potelwa explained.
The provincial government has condemned the violent acts.
Mitchell said the taxi industry’s anger is misdirected as the future of the Blue Dot program is now in the hands of national government.
“The Western Cape government ran the Blue Dot pilot programme with the mini-bus industry to demonstrate that formalisation and improved driver behaviour is possible at a significant cost of R215 million for 800 minibus taxis in the pilot.
“It was a success and a game-changer for the industry,” he explained.
“The province has taken the results of this pilot programme to the national government so that it can be rolled out nationally with national funding.”
Mitchell said this was communicated to the minibus taxi leaders during several meetings earlier this month.
He added that the “senseless” violence was putting people’s lives and jobs at risk and steps will be taken.
“I will use all regulatory and legislative mechanisms to deal with this issue which includes suspending or even withdrawing operating licences and holding associations accountable for these actions.”
Santaco deputy chairperson Nceba Enge said it has sent out a letter to all its drivers and members to keep the strike peaceful.
“We condemn these violent acts, our mandate was not to destroy any property. We asked them to park the vehicles and stay calm.”
However, he said the associations will continue with their two-day strike today: “The strike will continue because we have not yet received any response [from the government].”