Yet another Intercape bus driver was shot in Cape Town on Saturday evening.
The driver was shot while driving on Jakes Gerwel (N2) driving towards Cape Town to pick up commuters.
The driver managed to drive to Cape Town station while bleeding. He got medical assistance on arrival.
Police spokesman Colonel Andre Traut said the incident happened around 5pm. “The driver of a bus was shot and wounded while driving on the N2 close to Borchards Quarry Road. He managed to drive the bus to Cape Town where he was treated for his injury. The circumstances surrounding the attempted murder are under investigation and arrests are yet to be made,” Traut said.
The MEC for Mobility Daylin Mitchel said the driver was with two other people in the bus. The two occupants in the bus were unharmed.
“Since the reported spike in attacks on Intercape buses, the Western Cape Government has taken steps to ensure that the matter is brought to the attention of relevant authorities in the security and enforcement environment for the urgent coordination of investigations and interventions. We activated court watching briefs to monitor court cases linked to attacks on public transport operators across the province,” said Mitchell.
Reagan Allen, the MEC of Police Oversight and Community Safety Reagen Allen condemned the attack.
Read also: Intercape bus driver shot, loses control of bus and crashes on N2 near Cape Town
He said that the thousands of people who have plans to travel by bus over the festive season deserve safe transport.
“I will be meeting with Intercape management this week. We will offer them support wherever we can.”
Western Cape Mobility MEC Daylin Mitchell said the attacks were a form of organised crime. He added that traffic officials would be clamping down on any vehicles operating without the correct licences.
“I have reiterated my instruction to provincial traffic [officials] to monitor long-distance bus operations and, with the support of the SAPS, be on the lookout for any ‘patrol vehicles’ that illegally stop and extort buses and other private vehicles along key routes between the Western Cape and neighbouring provinces. The Western Cape government will not condone criminal acts of extortion, will not negotiate with nor try to appease criminals, and will not allow the rule of law to be compromised,” he said.
