South Africa invest in buses with onboard jails ready for Football World Cup
South Africa have come up with a practical solution for tackling football hooliganism during the World Cup next year. The host country have converted a fleet of former 65-seater council buses into mobile jails which will be present at all England matches during the tournament.
The buses, which have been nicknamed Jaws, have enough cells onboard for 20 prisoners, plus a specially converted court where a judge will be present. This way, anyone found to be misbehaving can be convicted immediately.
Chief Inspector Vincent Mogopudi explained the system: “By having it at the scene of a crime, we can arrest people and process them on the spot. Minutes later they can be before a judge in an office at the front of the vehicle.” He warned that the worst perpetrators would be taken to a conventional prison straight away, or transported to an airport ready for deportation.
The Justice Buses were trialled earlier this year during the Confederations Cup Tournament. Now the unique coaches will be rolled out during the Football World Cup which kicks off in South Africa on June 11th next year to help clamp down on the problem of violent behaviour between football supporters. 25,000 England supporters are expected to descend upon the country next summer and it’s hoped the buses will prove an effective deterrent for many.