Cape Town - The incident of a bus alight and entirely engulfed in flames on the M3 at Newlands Forest is under investigation.
City Traffic Department spokesperson, Maxine Bezuidenhout, said the M3 outbound was closed at Princess Anne Drive at 7:24am on Tuesday, with vehicles diverted to Main Road, Newlands.
Bezuidenhout added that the roadway was cleared at 8:30am.
The City’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, said the rescue service received a call just after 7am about the bus alight.
Carelse said fire crews from Salt River and Wynberg Fire Stations responded and were on scene.
“The entire bus was destroyed. Only the driver, who sustained no injuries, was in the bus,” Carelse said.
He added that the cause of the fire is unknown.
Police spokesperson, FC van Wyk, redirected queries related to the incident to Carelse.
When contacted, Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) said the bus was not one of theirs, but an HG Travelling Services bus.
Responding to an email query, HG Travelling Services general manager, Colleen Daniels, said the matter is under investigation by experts, including the original equipment manufacturer.
“As the vehicle is under their technical care and oversight, their expertise will be critical in determining the cause,” Daniels said in a statement.
“We commend the driver for acting swiftly and in full compliance with his bus evacuation and fire fighting training, ensuring safety and mitigating potential risks.
“At this stage, we do not wish to speculate on the cause of the incident. A thorough investigation is under way, and we will provide an update once the experts have concluded their findings.
“We would also like to assure the public that no passengers were in the vehicle at the time of the incident.”
While the company confirmed their vehicles are used to transport students, it would not provide information on whether the particular vehicle was used for the transportation of students.