Cape Town - Commuter watchdog the Public Transport Voice (PTV) has called for increased security measures on MyCiTi buses, saying the current safety systems do not address the spike in armed robberies.
This comes after armed robbers hit a MyCiTi bus and robbed passengers of wallets, phones and laptops on Mew Way Road, near TR section, in Site B Khayelitsha on Friday.
In July, a MyCiTi bus driver was held at gunpoint and his colleague robbed of valuables by a gang of four armed men in Khayelitsha on the same road.
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said a 33-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with Friday's incident and appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrate Court on Monday for armed robbery charges. She said none of the stolen items had been recovered.
PTV spokesperson Dalton Ndongeni said robberies on buses was of great concern.
"These robberies do happen and it's not only MyCiTi buses but also on Golden Arrow buses. We think the safety of commuters is not guaranteed. Law enforcement officers should be more visible on those routes at all times," said Ndongeni.
Site B Community Policing Forum chairperson Ndikho Weni said the community needed to get involved and help officials in identifying the suspects.
"This issue needs to be addressed urgently because it affects the whole community. What happens is that the robbers wait for a bus at the bus stop and pretend to be commuters. Once they board the bus, they rob people. Sometimes they have a car parked next to the bus, making it impossible to be chased and arrested."
Transport for Cape Town Mayco member Brett Herron said police were investigating the matter.
"Due to the sensitivity of the case and the possibility of further breakthroughs in the investigation, we cannot provide more information at this stage. Neither can we provide you with information about our proactive safety measures as this would undermine our operational efforts to ensure the safety of the MyCiTi passengers and the MyCiTi personnel," he said.
John Dammert, of the Golden Arrow Bus Service, the MyCiTi route in Khayelitsha's spokesperson, said measures will be put in place to ensure that incidents of a similar nature were not repeated along the routes in Khayelitsha.
"As the bus is operated by one driver, it is impractical to enforce body searches and screening of passengers boarding the buses. As a means to improve safety on the buses, the company has instituted a close working relationship with the law enforcement authorities (both SAPS and the metro police services) to institute safety measures, especially in places that have been earmarked as hot spots'," he said.
Dammert said the company had its own inspectorate division as an additional measure to ensure services were not interrupted by incidents which disrupt the schedule and threaten the safety of passengers.
Cape Times