WATCH: ‘Buck stops with buses’
|Published
SPOTLIGHT: Golden Arrow
A Golden Arrow employee told traumatised passengers who had just been robbed to find a way to replace their own stolen goods.
On Monday, the 10am bus from the Town Centre terminus was headed to Cape Town CBD when four armed robbers posing as passengers got up and stole cellphones and other valuables from the 64 passengers, and also robbed the driver of his float.
The robbers got off at the robots close to Samora Machel and the driver drove to Philippi Police Station.
At the cop shop, GABS Inspector Julia Cottle argued with the traumatised mense, saying the bus company can only help if there is a death.
“There was a bus which crashed in Lansdowne and a woman was instantly killed,” said Cottle.
“The company showed empathy and assisted the husband with everything. They assist where they can, but we cannot assist everybody.
“That is why people have insurance, it will pay out. If I don’t have insurance and I get into an accident, what must I do?
“I’d have to cough up myself. Some of you are lucky that you have insurance.”
But angry commuter Sergio Davis, 34, slammed Cottle for being insensitive.
"How is being gunpointed lucky? My life flashed before my eyes, I thought of my six-month-old baby and you talk about luck,“ he said.
“I don't pay insurance for Golden Arrow bus robberies, it's not for replacement phones.”
Sergio insisted that GABS is liable for their stolen property as the robberies have been going on for months and the company has done nothing to mitigate the danger.
“If I come into your property, you are liable for anything that happens to me while I am there,” he said.
“And there should be a big sign which reads: Enter at your own risk.”
But GABS spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer agreed with Cottle, saying: “We are operating a public service on public roads and our Conditions of Carriage therefore state that passengers and their property are conveyed solely at their own risk.
“Unfortunately we cannot take responsibility for losses incurred as a result of criminal actions.
“We are working closely with SAPS and the government and we have seen a reduction in robberies over the last two weeks.
“We would desperately like to be able to assure our passengers that crime will never affect them when using our services, but we are operating in areas with high crime rates and cannot separate ourselves from that reality.”
Commuters said “about 80%” of them were robbed and that no one was injured.
SAPS’ Noloyiso Rwexana said: “A case of armed robbery has been opened for investigation following a robbery that occurred (Monday) morning about 10:20 in a bus at Jakes Gerwel Road direction Athlone. According to information five armed suspects robbed passengers of their belongings and robbed the driver of an undisclosed amount of money. Police are following up on leads in order to bring the perpetrators to book.”