MAHIKENG MAIL - MAHIKENG: North West Transport Investment (NTI) lost a total of 23 buses in a blazing fire which was reported to have broken out at a Batswana gare depot on 17 June- the fire brigade was immediately activated to quell the fire at the depot.
It was reported that strong winds made it difficult for fire fighters to extinguish the fire, however, some of the buses were saved from burning. No injuries were reported and investigation by SAPS into the matter has ensued to determine the cause of the fire.
However, the burnt buses are reportedly not part of the operating fleet, because they were broken down - thus not affecting any passengers.
A case of malicious damage to property was immediately opened by the police. Since the cause of the fire remains unknown, it warrants further investigation. No arrests have been made as yet.
The Acting Group Chief Executive Officer of the NTI, Dr Ntlhopeng Dikobe said, “Though these buses were not operational, they remain the assets of the entity and still have monetary value. It’s a great loss to the entity and the entire community of the North West. NTI continues to render transport services as expected. It shows significant improvement in its obligations”.
The NTI finds itself in a precarious situation, facing, amongst other challenges, also financial problems.
MEC Wessels Morweng urged law enforcement agencies to get to the bottom of the incident “because assets cannot be lost like this”. He further directed that, security must be bolstered to protect NTI’s assets.
