The Minister of Transport, Ms. Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister, Mr. Mkhuleko Hlengwa condemn in the strongest of terms the torching of 50 Public Utility Company (PUTCO) buses on Monday night 27 January, an act of aggression confirmed by the bus operator.
PUTCO’s bus fleet plays a key role in moving about 200 000 commuters a day, with its biggest operation being in Mpumalanga.
The Minister and Deputy Minister have thus characterized the act as economic sabotage given the critical role that the bus industry plays in the mobility of the workforce in the country.
The Minister has instructed the Department to organise an urgent meeting with Natjoint to discuss this matter and develop necessary integrated response.
The Transport Ministry fears that interfering with the company’s operations may regrettably have disastrous impact on the commuters in Mpumalanga, who rely on the bus operator to commute to as far as Gauteng on a daily basis.
It is therefore of utmost importance that the law enforcement agencies take every possible course of action to investigate Monday’s incident and bring the perpetrators to book to face the full might of the law.
The Department will also continue to support any effort taken to prevent acts of sabotage on the country’s public transport system.
The Minister and Deputy Minister wish a speedy recovery to the two employees who were injured in the course of the arson attack and they have also expressed their full support to PUTCO in this period.
Media Contact:
Collen Msibi
National Spokesperson
Cell: 066 476 9015
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