Putco hopes buses will be back on the road by Friday
It has deployed a number of vehicles from its bus fleet to take over routes affected following an arson attack at several Mpumalanga depots.
At least 50 Putco buses were gutted in arson attacks at four of the company's depots in Mpumalanga. Picture: X/VehicleTrackerz
CAPE TOWN - Bus company Putco hopes to provide a fully normalised service by Friday.
It has deployed several vehicles from its bus fleet to take over routes affected following an arson attack at several Mpumalanga depots.
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A group of people stormed depots in the Nkangala district on Monday night, and 51 Putco buses were torched.
A security guard was shot and wounded, while two employees were injured during an assault.
Two suspects were arrested on Tuesday night.
The bus operator has blamed ongoing tensions with the taxi industry, adding that its operations are often disrupted by taxi associations over routes.
Putco's Franco Pisapia said they have been engaging with police over the past few months.
"They intimidate bus drivers, they intimidate passengers, so they stop buses that are on their route, which are specifically scheduled routes by the Department of Transport. They stop them, they make the passengers get out and then get into taxis. They have done that many times, and unfortunately, the SAPS [South African Police Service] does not have the full capability to be able to deal with this."
Pisapia said there have been instances where Putco drivers have been attacked.
"They have been intimidated a number of times. In some instances, sometimes they have even been, for example, the bus has been taken away and, let me say, sort of hijacked and placed in another area."