Durban - A taxi in which 16 commuters lost their lives when it collided with a train at Shaka’s Head has been found to be riddled with mechanical faults despite having recently received a roadworthy certificate from a private centre in Gauteng.
Various key parts had been removed and replaced or refitted, in some cases with non-standard parts.
This emerged when Transport MEC Willies Mchunu gave a preliminary report on the accident at the provincial legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday.
Many families were left devastated when the taxi driver lost control, went over a bridge and landed on the railway line, before the taxi was hit by a train.
The accident happened early last month.
Soon after the disaster, Mchunu commissioned a private forensic investigator to establish the cause.
Mchunu said the department would use the report to conduct further investigations to decide actions to be taken.
“It is concerning that a vehicle from KwaDukuza would go as far as Gauteng to obtain a roadworthiness certificate. We are investigating this,” Mchunu told the legislature.
Mchunu’s spokesman, Kwanele Ncalane, said the taxi had a Stanger number plate. He said it was permitted for vehicles to be certified outside the province and return to use a provincial number plate.
“The investigator concluded that the braking system was in an unroadworthy and dangerous condition,” read the report.
Other faults included:
- The gearbox had been changed and was not the standard Toyota Hi Ace gearbox.
- Several new steering racks, pinions and shock absorbers had been fitted.
- The speedometer could not be connected.
- The engine had been removed and refitted.
- The left-side engine mounting was perished.
- The rear gearbox (differetail) was perished.
- The rear brake drum diameter was above the normal size.
- The right front brakes were worn to excess, which would result in unstable braking on the front axle.
- The rear axle U-bolts were loose, which would result in an unstable vehicle.
Mchunu said there were no signs that the driver, who died in the crash, tried to apply the brakes before the taxi went over the bridge.
He later told The Mercury that police and the KZN and Gauteng transport departments would conduct a joint investigation to establish how the testing centre in Gauteng could have issued a roadworthy certificate for the taxi.
He did not reveal the name of the testing centre and could not say when the certificate was issued.
He said the department had established that many car owners took their vehicles to other provinces to get certificates from private centres. He said this was after the provincial department had taken over the operation of the private centre in the province.
“We took over responsibility to conduct tests and issue certificates as we were worried about the way private testing centres conducted themselves.
“We now reserve our right to retest cars that have been tested outside the province,” he said.
A senior department official said despite the faults on the taxi it was unlikely that its owner would be held accountable.
He cited as an example the Field’s Hill truck accident, in which more than 20 people died three years ago.
“The law does not allow us to hold the owner accountable if he was not driving. It is only the driver who takes the blame.
“The department has proposed an amendment to the National Road Traffic Act to allow us the take action against the car owner as well,” said the official.
Mchunu said the department would replace guard rails with concrete walls on the bridge where the accident happened to prevent another out-of-control vehicle falling over on to the railway line.
“This is the third accident at this place,” said Mchunu.
The Mercury