Cape Town - As four suspects linked to Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) robberies are due to spend the festive season behind bars, the company has hailed the recent conviction of three people involved in crimes also associated with bus attacks.
Police made a breakthrough on December 5 when they tracked down suspects aged between 31 and 42 believed to have been the masterminds behind a string of robberies on GABS vehicles around Khayelitsha.
Their alleged modus operandi was boarding the bus under the pretence of being passengers and then proceeding to rob the bus driver and passengers at gunpoint. They appeared again in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on December 14.
GABS general manager Derick Meyer said a collaboration including the police and the City resulted in the arrests. “The successes have been a result of on-board safety features, including cameras on more than 80% of the fleet with 20% still scheduled for fitment in collaboration with the provincial transport department.”
Western Cape police commissioner Thembisile Patekile said to ensure the safety of commuters, they have prioritised the transport industry with frequent, focused operations. “To quell the violence on local and long-distance routes, inroads are being made. We will maintain our strong presence to break the back of criminality threatening the transport system.”
“To quell the violence on local and long-distance routes and bring to book those responsible for these ruthless attacks, inroads are being made by our investigation team as indicated by recent arrests and convictions in this regard, and we will maintain our strong stance and presence in partnership with other role-players so that we can break the back of criminality threatening the safety and security of the public transport system in this province,” said Patekile.
Premier Alan Winde welcomed the arrests and said the provincial government and its partners would continue to invest in measures to protect bus commuters and drivers.
Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said his portfolio was also committed to making public transport safe.
“We’ve seen an increase in attacks on buses, not only during incidents of unrest, but also robberies. Through the deployment of our resources and a close working relationship with other role-players, the City has helped to safeguard the bus service. We remain committed to doing everything possible to safeguard the thousands of commuters who rely on the service daily,” said Smith.
Cape Times