Putco was forced to halt it services on Monday morning after a number of their buses were attacked in different parts of Gauteng during the National Shutdown protests. The protesters attempted to hijack the buses demanding free rides to their various destinations while others stoned the buses forcing passangers to flee. This after the transport entity decided to operate on Monday following transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga's assurance that their buses will be safe. 

 RECONSIDERED THEIR DECISION

 On Thursday, Putco announced that it had decided to suspend its bus operations on Monday, due to safety concerns. Spokesperson Lindokuhle Xulu said the company conducted a safety and risk assessment following the widely announced National Shutdown. The in-depth analysis uncovered threats of intimidation and a planned interruption of economic activities by disrupting road networks to prevent trucks and buses from operating," Xulu said on Thursday. The bus company made a u-turn in their decision aftr ameeting with  minister Chikunga, her deputy, senior government officials and the executives of the Southern Africa Bus Operators Association (Saboa) on Thursday afternoon were urged to treat Monday as a normal business day and to provide public transport services as usual. Xulu said the minister implored Putco and other bus companies to operate and assured them that sufficient security measures were in place for the safety of passengers, staff, and the public during the planned national shutdown.

 BUSES ATTACKED

 The bus company was forced to suspend their operations on Monday morning. The bus company says staff buses were the first to encounter blocked roads and intimidation from demonstrators taking part in the National Shutdown protest as they attempted to collect bus drivers aiming to report for duty in the early hours of Monday morning 20 March 2023. "In Soweto - buses were stoned and damaged in the Braamfischer area. Passengers were forced to flee, and the bus was abandoned. The bus has since been recovered. In Eldorado Park? Staff buses couldn't access the Vaal areas for picking up drivers as a result buses from Nancefield depot couldn't operate," added Xulu. Other incidents were reported in Soshanguve and Mpumalanga. Xulu said in Soshanguve, a bus was hijacked, the female driver was pushed out of the bus she was driving was used to block a road in Dennilton but police quickly recovered it and it was taken back to the local depot. 

PROTESTORS DEMANDING FREE RIDES

Xulu said Protestors also demanded that buses be made available to transport them to their meeting points. "Protesters wanted to gain entry to the depot to demand drivers to transport them. Our security personnel acted swiftly and prevented them from entering the 

depot. Tshwane and Mpumalanga - Routes have been blocked and are unsafe to use, including the Moloto road, which is a main route between the two provinces of Gauteng and Mpumalanga," added Xulu.