Buses destroyed in Wednesday morning fire at Roodepoort Metrobus depot

Two buses have been reduced to steel and ash by a fire at the Roodepoort Metrobus depot on November 3.

The fire broke out sometime between 01:00 and 02:00, with City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (CoJEMS) arriving to attend to the fire shortly before 02:30. “No other injuries were reported during this incident and the cause of the fire is unknown,” stated CoJEMS spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi.

Metrobus officials met at the President Road depot on Wednesday morning to inspect the damage done to their fleet, and ascertain what may have caused the fire. While two buses were completely destroyed, two other buses that were parked nearby sustained light damage, with officials assuring that they would need to be thoroughly inspected before they could be allowed back into service.

The vehicles now lost to the municipal entity were of the premier Mercedes-Benz Euro V variety. The low-emission, 44-seater passenger buses were procured roughly five years ago and cost in the region of R3 million at the time. “It is very upsetting to lose such valuable assets and while there will be minimal disruptions today, we have already commissioned buses from other depots to ensure usual services are restored tomorrow,” said Metrobus spokesperson, Goodwill Shivuri.

An explosion alerted the security guard on duty to the mayhem that was soon to unfold in the usually deserted late-night yard. Shuvuri explained how buses are back at the depot before 21:00, meaning the now destroyed buses had been parked for several hours before the fire began. Technicians may attend to the buses when they arrive back but would complete their day’s work soon after a brief check and refuelling.

With no indication as to how the fire may have started, Shivuri could not comment on whether it may have done so by malicious means, concluding, “There are cameras in the yard so we will check those, but fire inspectors will need to investigate the scene to determine the cause”.