‘You’ll be shot if you board IPTS buses’

Commuters fled in terror yesterday after “gangsters” allegedly threatened to shoot them on the spot if they climbed onto Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) buses at the Cleary Park shopping centre in Port Elizabeth.

The panicked commuters darted off the bus station platform following the threats from three men, believed to be taxi drivers.

The intimidatory tactics threaten to derail the city’s much-vaunted bus service.

The commuters had been waiting for the bus from Cleary Park to the city centre when the men suddenly pushed their way to the front of the queue.

One of the commuters, who did not want to be named for fear of retribution, said: “They came and jumped onto the platform and were like, ‘Don’t get onto these buses, I’m telling you! If you get on, you’ll be getting on with gangsters. Then they will shoot you’.”

The chilling words triggered panic among those who heard the threat.

Another commuter said she had been threatened that both she and her son – who was with her at the time – would get killed “on the spot”.

“[They told me], ride the bus [and] the gangsters they will shoot you now,” the petrified woman said.

“They said until they [taxi drivers] give us the go-ahead, we will not be allowed to ride the new buses.”

The woman said this shortly after she had run up to another woman walking towards the bus and yanked her back, saying that the “gangsters” would shoot her if she boarded the bus.

“There was an elderly lady that nearly got on – she was saying the bus [ride] was free and she was adamant she was getting on.

“I grabbed her, yelling ‘hey, look, we’ve just been told [by the men] that we are going to get shot by gangsters if we get on the buses,” the first woman said.

The witnesses said that, in the end, no one boarded the buses.

“Both buses left empty,” one of them said.

“People were too scared and some ran away, getting as much distance between themselves and the men.

“But some were forced to get into the taxis [that were parked nearby].”
While IPTS operator Spectrum Alert brushed off yesterday’s incident as “a hoax”, IPTS head of security Thomas Ruiters said there would be heightened security on the buses from today, as well as along the route to ensure commuter safety.

Spectrum Alert chief executive Chris King said: “It’s just some [people] who are trying to scare commuters. They are trying to destabilise operations.

“It’s a hoax and shouldn’t even be published in your [newspaper.”

King said his company could not guarantee commuters’ safety.

“Whether you get on a bus or [in] your private car, your safety is not guaranteed,” he said.

Ruiters said heightened security measures would be implemented from today.

To deal with the intimidation, Ruiters said, there would be “ambassadors” at stops who would be on the lookout for any person acting suspiciously.

“If they spot any such person, they will then alert us and we’ll inform either our roaming ‘ghost’ vehicles or the SAPS,” he said. “[This incident] raises eyebrows. “We will be working on a contingency plan to make sure our people are safe.

“We’ll beef up security and will make sure the control centre monitors the buses from start to finish.

“Our armed response teams as well as metro police will be on high alert,” Ruiters said.

In addition, there would be two plainclothes security guards on each bus, as well as one in uniform.

“These officers are trained to deal with any eventuality,” he said.

Northern Areas Taxi Driver and Operator Forum member Shaun Padayachee said he did not condone the violence that had been unfolding.

Padayachee said his aim was “to reach a civil agreement with Spectrum Alert together with the municipality”.

“Our main concern is the loss of jobs by taxi drivers and operators because of the incorrect implementation of the IPTS system by Spectrum Alert,” Padayachee said.

Marlon Daniels, the new political head for roads and transport, could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, the municipality has extended its “dry run” and tickets will still be available for free at the Cleary Park customer care centre.