Public transport users were dealt a blow on Thursday when two buses went up in flames in Cape Town.
Just after 2pm, an empty Golden Arrow bus caught fire at the bus terminus in Castle Street in the city.
The bus was engulfed in flames in a matter of minutes.
Shortly after 5pm, a MyCiTi bus burst into flames on Hospital Bend.
The N2 inbound was closed off, causing traffic chaos
yesterday evening.
Spokesperson for the City’s Fire and Rescue Services,
Jermaine Carelse, says the fire was contained and no injuries were reported.
Mayco member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says there were no passengers on board and the driver got out of the bus when he noticed the smoke and flames.
“The fire started from the engine compartment and quickly engulfed the whole bus,” he says.
Earlier in the CBD, mense in the vicinity of Castle Street were immediately evacuated and Fire and Rescue Services were on the scene within
minutes to douse the flames.
“There were three fire engines, a rescue vehicle and 17 staff members on the scene battling the blaze. The fire was contained,” Carelse said.
“No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is unknown.”
Golden Arrow spokesperson, Bronwen Dyke-Beyer, says they have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, adding that it did not appear to be an act of arson or vandalism.
“At this stage, the cause of the fire is unknown but it does not appear to be related to vandalism,” she said.
“We will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause.”
Train commuters were severely affected this week after 11 carriages of two train sets were destroyed in an arson attack at the Cape Town train station on Sunday.
Prasa said the damage was estimated at R33 million.
A Khayelitsha man was arrested after CCTV footage placed him at the scene.
On Wednesday, Thobela Xoseni, 30, appeared at the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court where the giggling suspect apparently admitted to the magistrate that he started the fire.
The matter has been postponed to 2 May, while the suspect will undergo a mental evaluation.