Putco buses impounded
Fifteen buses belonging to the Putco bus company were suspended by the Mpumalanga government for failure to comply with transport regulations after an early morning surprise visit at a bus depot on Thursday.
The MEC for public works, roads and transport, Mohita Latchminarain, was accompanied by Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane and transport officials when they conducted the unannounced visit to the Moloto bus terminal, to monitor compliance with transport regulations and Covid-19.
On June 15, the Tuesday before, the same operation had been conducted and 18 buses, including six minibuses, were impounded for non-compliance. The department’s spokesperson, Bongani Dhlamini, said most of the buses impounded did not have operating permits.
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“We found that most buses were operating without permits, meaning that they had expired a long time ago, and if this is allowed to continue, it would put the lives of commuters in great danger,” he said.
Dhlamini further stated that bus operators whose buses had been impounded are liable to pay a fine of R2 000 per bus. However, he said the MEC was convinced that paying fines only would not be enough, as this does not solve the issue of non-compliance.
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He added that Latchminarain was exploring the possibility of opening a case with the police against non-compliant operators.
“The MEC was angered by the continuation of Putco buses not taking the issue of passenger safety seriously. Among other things going forward, we are going to open dockets for those bus operators so that they appear in court to explain why the buses must be released for operation,” he said
