Intercape bus company says it intends to continue to operate a safe, reliable, and efficient inter-provincial bus service despite being embroiled in a legal matter with the Minister of Transport and the Eastern Cape Transport MEC.
CEO Johann Ferreira said the legal action did not mean that “Intercape services are not running at present and will not be running over the festive season.”
He said they are “taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our employees and customers which remains our number one priority at all times."
In September, the bus company sought relief from the Eastern Cape High Court in Makhanda to force the government to provide safety in dangerous areas of the province.
However, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has opposed and appealed the court’s decision.
In a replying affidavit filed on Friday, Intercape CEO Johann Ferreira pointed to what he said was the Minister's “ongoing disregard for the seriousness of the issues at hand which concern life-threatening and endemic acts of violence and intimidation”.
Ferreira said the earlier court order instructed the Minister of Transport and MEC for Transport in the Eastern Cape to work with police to come up with a plan of action to secure the safety of Intercape coaches, passengers, and employees.
In a statement on Sunday, Ferreira also slammed the action plan filed by the MEC for Transport, broadly saying it failed to address concerns about so-called no-go areas for Intercape buses.
He said there are over 150 recorded incidents of shootings, stonings, and acts of intimidation directed at Intercape and other long-distance operators by rogue taxi associations.
Ferreira said the " Eastern Cape is the epicentre of this campaign of violence."
However, he said "it is Intercape's intention to continue to operate a safe, reliable, and efficient inter-provincial coach service. We are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our employees and customers which remains our number one priority at all times."
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape Transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose says while the matter is sub-judice, he doesn’t understand why a private bus operator can’t employ its own security.
Algoa FM News has made several attempts to get hold of National Transport Department spokesperson, Lwazi Khoza, and while she acknowledged receipt of media queries, none has come forward.
