Park station ‘dangerous’

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Published Oct 7, 2014

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Johannesburg - A bus operator at Johannesburg’s Park station has criticised what it has termed “totally ineffective” security at the commuter hub.

Intercape has claimed its employees have received death threats, while one was hijacked and underwent a traumatic kidnapping.

The company believes that if security is not tightened at the station for staff, the criminals harassing its employees could turn their violence towards the public.

Intercape’s legal representative, Roelien van der Walt, has compiled a list of incidents against the company’s employees and passengers over the past year, which she claims have all occurred because of the company’s attempts to stop crime at the station.

The final straw was when one of their employees, whose name is known to The Star, was hijacked at the exit gate of the station last month in front of security guards, who apparently did nothing.

The employee was forced to drive around for more than 24 hours, drawing money from his bank account for the criminals.

He was eventually dumped at a Makro store the next day.

Last November, another employee was hijacked and beaten, allegedly because of the employee’s interference with criminal activity at the station.

Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa spokesman Kenny Ramuthivheli said they were unaware of these complaints.

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The Star

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