Public transport unit to meet urgently

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu, has asked for a high-level team to conduct an assessment and investigate safety measures after last weeks accident involving a minibus and a train. Photo: Netcare 911

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu, has asked for a high-level team to conduct an assessment and investigate safety measures after last weeks accident involving a minibus and a train. Photo: Netcare 911

Published Aug 18, 2015

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Johannesburg - Transport Minister Dipuo Peters on Tuesday called on the public transport unit within her department to urgently meet with public transport entities to discuss issues after 15 people died when a minibus taxi plummeted from a highway and landed on railway tracks where it was hit by a train north of Durban on Monday, her department said.

“Minister Peters entrusted the Public Transport unit within the Department of Transport to urgently meet with all the affected public transport entities affected to discuss regulatory issues as well as the implementation of the Public Transport Strategy in an attempt to bring the desired changes into the public transport sector,” the department said.

“Minister Peters calls on all Provinces to implement the provisions of the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 0f 1996, Chapter V (42): Certification of roadworthiness required in respect of motor vehicle licensing.”

The Act states that no person shall operate a motor vehicle, which is not in a roadworthy condition on a public road.

It also states that no person shall operate a motor vehicle on a public road unless the requirements in respect of a certification of roadworthiness contemplated in subsection (4) in relation to such motor vehicle are compiled with, and except in accordance with the conditions of such certification of roadworthiness.

Fifteen people were killed on Monday, when a minibus taxi was struck by a train. Indications were that the taxi took the offramp on the N2 near Shaka’s Head, shot through a stop street and then went down an embankment, landing on the railway tracks before being struck by a passenger train.

Peters called on the Road Traffic Management Corporation and the Rail Safety Regulator to lead investigations into the accident and said it deserved urgency.

She said the Road Accident Fund should intervene and support the affected families.

“At this moment of grief, the Minister’s prayer and thoughts are with families and friends of the deceased. May their soul rest in peace. Equally the Minister wishes those who are injured a speedy recovery,” the department said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) said the minibus taxi was overloaded.

“It [the taxi] was only certified to carry 16 people, including the driver and the conductor. [It] was overloaded by four [people],” spokeswoman Zinhle Mngomezulu said.

Mngomezulu said RTI investigators were at the scene of the accident on Tuesday, to collect evidence.

Five people were in hospital, including the taxi conductor. All the victims were from the minibus taxi and there were no injuries from the train.

Mngomezulu said that the conductor had already been interviewed by investigators.

“He said the driver was screaming to say ‘Haibo, the vehicle doesn’t have brakes’,” she said.

She said that the conductor’s allegation of failed brakes would have to be investigated.

ANA

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