Cape Town - Golden Arrow Bus Services (Gabs) has expressed concern after passengers and a driver on a bus en route to Mandalay were robbed at Jakes Gerwel Drive in Samora Machel on Monday.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk confirmed the robbery, and said that a case of armed robbery was reported at Lentegeur police station.
Van Wyk said the case was transferred to Samora Marcel police station for further investigation, due to the incident happening in their precinct.
Gabs spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said occupants were robbed of their personal possessions. At the time of the robbery, the bus had as many as 30 passengers.
Dyke-Beyer said the overall number of robberies was low considering that Gabs runs more than 5000 trips per day.
“We do, however, believe that one incident is (one) too many.”
She said Gabs was contracted to the government to offer a public service, and they could not replace the role that the police must play in terms of public safety.
“We continue to lobby government at all levels as we believe that arrests and convictions are the only way to curb crime. This is not an isolated Gabs issue; attacks on ambulances and other essential services are on the rise and it is clear that there is a need for decisive action to be taken by the police.”
The City’s transport portfolio committee chairperson Angus McKenzie said the police needed to do their job: “Buses are there to commuter people and the police to protect and serve, while one is fulfilling its role the other is not."
He said they had not heard of any arrest or prosecution of those crimes, which was of serious concern.
South African Transport and Allied Workers Union national coordinator for passenger buses, Solomon Mahlangu, said Gabs must improve their relationship with the surrounding communities so as to better work with law enforcement to lessen criminal activities meted out to bus drivers.
Mahlangu said secondly, Gabs must use the technology for improving security in the buses, including surveillance cameras to protect bus drivers, passengers and their assets.
The National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) regional secretary Vuyo Lufele said Gabs should hire its own law enforcement, for the safety of their drivers and passengers.
Lufele said Numsa would raise the robberies as a matter of consent, and pleaded with Gabs to be transparent about the robberies.
Dyke-Beyer said they were offering a R50000 reward for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of perpetrators of bus robberies and would urge anyone with any information to come forward.
Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is urged to contact the Crime Stop number 0860010111 or via the MySAPSApp.
Cape Argus