The City of Cape Town has opened a case of attempted murder, arson and malicious damage to property after one of its MyCiTi buses was set alight in Hout Bay.
This comes after angry protesters blocked the circle at the Imizamo Yethu intersection in Victoria Road on Wednesday.
Mayco member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, said the protest was taxi-related, and followed after Traffic Services responded to reports that taxis were ranking illegally in the area, while some vehicles were operating without operating licences.
“The trouble started at around 5.25pm on Wednesday,” he explained.
“A MyCiTi bus servicing the route between the Adderley Street Station in the CBD and Hout Bay was stoned when the bus driver stopped to allow approximately 40 passengers to disembark.
“The driver was instructed to get out of the bus and it was set alight.”
No injuries were reported.
It is understood that the Hout Bay Taxi Association was in discussions with the SAPS on the matter well into the evening.
A few taxi drivers gathered again on Thursday morning, but no incidents of violence have been reported.
“Deviations will be enforced as and when needed,” said Quintas, adding that the replacement cost of the R9-million bus amounts to approximately R1.3m.
Quintas sent out a warning to those involved: “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.
“In these hard times where Capetonians have to battle unemployment, constant load shedding and the high cost of living, we will do all we can to ensure our commuters can count on us for a reliable and safe public transport service.
“We have deployed a number of officers to patrol the Hout Bay and Imizamo Yethu areas.”
He also applauded SAPS and the Law Enforcement services for arresting one of the alleged perpetrators involved.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk confirmed that Hout Bay cops had opened a public violence case.
“According to reports, traffic officials of the City of Cape Town were busy with operations against taxi drivers operating without a route permit in Victoria Road, Hout Bay,” Van Wyk explained.
“Three taxis was 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.”