Door drops during school taxi blitz

Cape Town 141016-Traffic officers takes the owner of the taxi Moses Kapi during a scholar transport operation focussed on privately contracted vehicles transporting children to and from school at Parow Preparatory school.Moses car was suspended. He didn't have the permit. The taxi had broken lights, no permit and the car is suspended.Picture Cindy waxa.

Cape Town 141016-Traffic officers takes the owner of the taxi Moses Kapi during a scholar transport operation focussed on privately contracted vehicles transporting children to and from school at Parow Preparatory school.Moses car was suspended. He didn't have the permit. The taxi had broken lights, no permit and the car is suspended.Picture Cindy waxa.

Published Oct 16, 2014

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Cape Town - As a taxi driver alighted during an operation focused on private contract vehicles taking pupils to Cape Town schools, the door of his minibus fell off and hit the tarma c.

Another taxi was loaded with 20 children and a vehicle permitted to carry eight was crammed with 11 pupils.

Traffic officials impounded several vehicles, including the minibus with a broken door, during a Scholar Transport Operation this morning. was part of Safely Home's October Transport Month.

Moses Kapi was transporting schoolchildren aged between five and 12 from Delft to the Parow Preparatory School when officials inspected his minibus. As he emerged from the vehicle his car door fell off its hinges and dropped to the ground.

Upon further inspection, traffic officials found the headlights of the vehicle were broken, the steering wheel was not properly fitted and Kapi had no permit. The battered minibus was impounded.

The operation was carrie out at Parow Preparatory School on the corner of Joubert Street and De La Rey, Parow at 6.45am.

Traffic officers were checking for overloading, roadworthiness, appropriate permits, driving licences and driver fitness.

OVERLOADING

MEC for transport and public works Donald Grant said: “There were some serious transgressions this morning.

“Vehicles without professional permits and overloading were some of the issues we found.”

Pupils who had to disembark due to unroadworthy vehicles were given lifts by traffic officials.

It was part of an ongoing operation by the department of transport and city to check that scholar transport was safe.

“One taxi had 20 children while another vehicle had a permit for eight children but was transporting 11.

“The big issue is safety and the legality of the vehicles on the road,” said Grant.

He appealed to parents to check the legality of the cars that their children were transported to and from school in.

“We want to appeal to parents to make sure that these drivers’ have the correct documentation if they sign contracts with them.”

Cape Argus

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