Cape Town - Transport company Intercape said it was awaiting action from Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula in curbing the scourge faced by the company regarding attacks on its Eastern Cape buses.
Court action filed by the company in September was instituted to compel the minister to act on criminality following a spate of attacks on the transport company this year.
The transport company’s spokesperson, Lindiz van Zilla, said yesterday, after the order was granted by the Eastern Cape High Court, that “the court order is the latest development in a long battle by long-distance coach operator Intercape to force authorities to address a spate of violent attacks directed at the company”.
The order was granted to compel Mbalula, the Eastern Cape Transport MEC, SAPS and transport regulators to ensure a plan of action to stop violent attacks on long-distance buses.
Implementation of the order is expected to accommodate safer travel for Intercape customers and other companies who make use of buses as their trusted mode of transport during peak seasons, including the festive season and other holiday periods, such as Easter.
Van Zilla said: “Intercape has come under attack by elements of the minibus taxi industry who are intent on forcing the company out of operating in parts of the Eastern Cape.”
Intercape CEO Johann Ferreira said while the office of the MEC agreed to implement the order of the court, Mbalula “regrettably decided not to participate in the formulation of an action plan and rather focused his attention on challenging the court’s decision by lodging an application for leave to appeal”.
In October, Mbalula introduced a R1 billion security plan for the Western Cape.
The minister established national and regional control rooms and the use of CCTV technology to protect the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) infrastructure, which is believed to be held back by criminality.
However, Intercape said that Mbalula was not fulfilling his constitutional obligations to the Eastern Cape.
“We want to see a meaningful, coherent and implementable plan of action to put an end to this blatant criminality in the public transport sector which falls under the auspices of the Minister of Transport,” Ferreira said.