An 18m MyCiTi bus caught alight on Monday morning at the MyCiTi station in Killarney, along Potsdam Road, close to the intersection with Silverstone Road.
The City’s Fire Services assisted in putting the fire out, and traffic was diverted.
No injuries have been reported.
Although the bus was destroyed, the station suffered extensive damage and will remain closed until further notice.
An investigation to determine the cause of the incident is currently under way, as confirmed by the City’s Urban Mobility Directorate.
Councillor Rob Quintas, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, stated: “I have been told that the bus driver heard an unusual sound when he arrived at the Killarney station. The next moment he noticed smoke coming from the front of the bus. Thankfully, all of the passengers and the staff were safely evacuated before the fire got worse.”
Quintas noted that they received reports of a protest occurring further down Potsdam Road just minutes before the incident.
An investigation was launched to ascertain the cause of the fire and determine if there are any links to the protest.
In addition to the internal investigation, the incident has been formally reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS).
“This incident will have a major impact on the commuters who make use of the Killarney station. They will have to use the Potsdam station on the corner of Potsdam and Blaauwberg Roads in coming months. This is a massive blow to our operations as this is a very popular route,” Quintas said.
Although the exact cost of the destruction will be assessed over the next few days, he stated that it is safe to assume the damage will amount to millions of rands.
“Depending on the damage to the station, it will likely take many months, if not at least a year, to do the repairs,” Quintas said.
nokubonga.ndlovu@inl.co.za
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