Editorial

The City may be feeling vindicated in obtaining a permanent interdict against protesters but when angry citizens revolt one has to ask just how effective a piece of paper pinned outside a MyCiTi station will be in preventing vandalism.

The City has calculated that damages to the MyCiTi stations along the T04 trunk route amounted to well over R1 million.

An interdict prohibiting people from causing more damage is not intimidating enough to prevent this bill from rising in future.

Also, how many commuters bother to read notice boards? Most have their heads buried in their phones or are in conversation.

One understands the City’s desperation in seeking ways to protect their assets but the chances of an interdict doing the job is scarce. The City needs to forget about treating the symptoms – in this case violent protests with an interdict – and tackle the cause which is the lack of space for housing development and finding ways to employ taxi drivers who are driving the routes along the T04 trunk route illegally. Once these issues are dealt with and a viable solution sought, there will be no need for an interdict.