Cape Town – The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) on Tuesday called for a change in driver behaviour to reduce carnage on public roads, this after 20 people – including 18 school pupils – died in a minibus taxi accident on the border between Gauteng and Mpumalanga last week.
"The horrific crash has devastated families that are still struggling to come to terms with the loss of their children," said Sanco spokesperson, Jabu Mahlangu, "as well as communities from which they come and commuted daily to, and the entire nation in shock."
Mahlangu said that fast-tracking the implementation of the points demerit system, as well as zero tolerance road traffic enforcement would assist to eliminate reckless drivers and unroadworthy vehicles from public roads. He said that tough measures such as stiffer fines, suspension, as well as cancellation of licenses and forfeiture of cars would further contribute towards safer roads.
"Drunken driving, speeding and corruption related to issuing of drivers' licenses and traffic officers overlooking road offences for bribes represents the biggest threat to road safety," he said.
Mahlangu said that efforts needed to be redoubled, to provide safer scholar transport and ridding the road traffic law enforcement agencies of corrupt elements that were putting lives at risk.
"The 235 Easter death toll has once again reinforced our firm view that road safety campaigns must be stepped up in partnership with transport sector role-players and the capacity of officials employed to carry out this important function increased," he added.
Burnt to death
Friday's accident on the R25 between Verena in Mpumalanga and Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng saw the deaths of the pupils from the Refano Primary School and Mahlenga Secondary School in Sokhulumi Village near Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng.
The driver of the vehicle and a general worker from Refano Primary School were the other two fatalities when the taxi collided with a truck. The minibus burst into flames after the accident and some of the occupants burnt to death inside the vehicle.
Fourteen of the pupils were from Refano Primary School and four were from the Mahlenga Secondary School. The pupils were travelling to their homes in Wolvenkop and Verena.