Cape Town - An Intercape driver is fighting for his life in hospital after gunmen opened fire on a bus outside the company’s depot in Airport Industria.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said Bishop Lavis police received a shooting complaint at about 6.30pm on Sunday at the corners of Morris Close and Montreal Road.
On arrival at the scene they found the bus stationed in the road.
“According to reports the driver and his assistant were on the way to Cape Town to load passengers when two unknown suspects approached the intersection, firing gunshots in their direction.
“One of the victims sustained injuries as a result of gunshot wounds and was transferred to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. The unknown suspects who fled the scene in an undisclosed direction are yet to be arrested,” said Swartbooi.
Bishop Lavis police are investigating a case of attempted murder and the motive for the attack is unknown.
The Long-distance coach company confirmed the incident yesterday stating that one of their drivers was critically wounded and underwent an emergency surgery after being struck by a bullet.
He is currently in a stable condition.
In April, 35-year-old Intercape bus driver Bangikhaya Machana died in hospital days after being shot outside the company’s depot.
In the space of 13 months, there have been more than 150 violent incidents recorded, a number of which led to serious injuries to employees and passengers of the bus operators in the long-distance coach industry.
Intercape chief executive officer Johann Ferreira said: “We are grateful to the Western Cape Provincial Minister for Transport Daylin Mitchell and Provincial Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety Reagen Allen for taking up this issue.”
According to Ferreira they have pleaded with the relevant national ministries and the presidency for urgent intervention.
“Despite 124 cases being opened with police, especially in the Eastern Cape, there has still not been a single arrest made linked to this campaign of violence, which we find completely unacceptable.”
Mitchell condemned the incident following an urgent meeting with Ferreira and Allen.
“The continued brazen attacks on long distance buses constitute organised crime, perpetrated by a criminal element, reportedly with links to the minibus taxi industry.”
Mitchell said steps he has taken include instructing their officials to check and verify all long distance bus operating licences and to impound all vehicles that are operating without or contrary to the conditions of operating licences.
“I also intend raising the matter with the national Minister of Transport and my provincial counterparts in a meeting to address the perception among bus operators that politicians and enforcement officials are failing in their duty by allowing a group of criminal extortionists to hold both the bus and minibus taxi industries hostage to their demands for price fixing by flooding routes with illegal operators while preventing legal operators from operating in certain areas,” said Mitchell.
Anyone with information on the incident can anonymously contact Crime Stop on 0860010111, or SMS Crime Line on 32211.
Cape Times