Gautrain bus driver stable after shooting incident

Pretoria - The Gautrain bus driver who was shot in Centurion on Monday morning is in a stable condition at a local hospital. 

Bombela Concession Company spokesperson, Kelebogile Machaka, said the injured driver was shot during a trial run for a route in the Centurion area. The trial run was in preparation for those routes being reinstated following the recent illegal strikes by Gautrain bus drivers, which led to 318 drivers being dismissed. 

Machaka said no one else was injured in the incident. 

This follows several previous incidents where Gautrain buses have been targeted by criminal elements. Bus depots have been blockaded; replacement drivers have been intimidated; buses have been stoned and there have been incidents of arson and attempted arson. A bus was shot at in Midrand in February.

"Now, in the second shooting incident, one of Gautrain's new bus drivers has been injured. Everybody at the Gautrain is extremely concerned about this apparent escalation in the criminal and violent nature of the attacks that we are enduring," said Machaka.

She said industry-wide labour practices, as agreed to in the Industry Bargaining Council agreements, had been followed in dealing with the bus driver strike. She added that Bombela, as the Concessionaire and Mega Express, as the bus service operator, had followed the letter and spirit of the law in every respect. 

Additional security personnel have been deployed on every bus. - BuaNews