Suspects arrested for stealing Putco bus batteries

The Public Utility Transport Corporation (Putco) has been losing an average of 60 bus batteries per month in the Mpumalanga and Soweto area of operations.

The BKL Investigative Unit was appointed and are working closely with the police, especially in the identified areas where the incidents of vandalism and theft are prevalent.

In a statement issued by Putco, police in Kwa-Mhlanga were lauded for bringing cases to court and for securing convictions of some of the perpetrators of these criminal acts.

“It is disturbing that some of these incidents happen while the operation is in full service, sometimes during the day and in full view of passers-by and passengers. The bus air pressure system pipes are cut during the loading and offloading of passengers at bus stops, causing the bus to suffer a breakdown and not be able to complete the journey.

“These brazen acts negatively affect the quality of service we offer to our passengers and cause undue inconvenience to passengers who rely on our buses to commute to work and on time.”

“The replacement of these batteries cost us a lot of money and with the ailing economy and financial constraints experienced by companies such as ours, it becomes difficult to continue replacing stolen batteries on a monthly basis.

“This is tantamount to acts of sabotage and we plead with communities to help us bring these perpetrators to book,” reads the statement.

The public is advised to report any suspected vandalism. The information provided will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

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