Johannesburg - A culpable homicide case has been opened at Linden police station against the driver of a Metrobus who caused the deaths of four pedestrians in Randburg in July last year.
An accident forensic investigation team, led by the SAPS, verbally delivered its report to the City of Joburg last month.
They have to hand the written report only to the National Prosecuting Authority.
The damning report found that the cause of the accident was human error on the part of the driver for failing to engage the handbrake before he abandoned the bus, which had broken down.
Among other things, the report found:
* The vehicle was not 100 percent mechanically roadworthy, because only three pairs of brakes were fully functional.
* Although the functional brakes were sufficient to hold the bus on that particular gradient, mechanically the bus required all pairs of brakes to be fully functional.
* The bus experienced the mechanical failure and suddenly stopped due to fuel-feed problems.
* The fatal accident occurred purely as a result of human error on the part of the driver who had failed to engage the handbrake.
* The bus has an external-lever handbraking system that controls the closure and opening of the door. This effectively, according to the investigating team, amounts to human error because if the bus operator claims there was (outside) interference with the handbraking system, it could have been avoided purely by closing the door.
* The handbraking system is situated on the far right side of the bus, which would make it difficult for anyone to reach and disengage the braking system.
It was the view of the investigating officers that when the bus operator was in the bus, his foot was on the brake pedal, which was released when he left the bus unattended.
The report has recommended that management establish its own internal accident investigating capability and that it review the standard operating procedures that deal with how drivers should manage a breakdown bus and ensure it is safely secured.
In addition, there should be intensive driver training, focusing on the state of mind and health of the drivers.
The accident occurred in Republic Road. There were no passengers in the bus.
The unattended bus rolled down the road for more than 900m, eventually ploughing into a pedestrian who had been standing on a pavement and later plunging into a stationary taxi that was offloading passengers.
Nico de Jager, the DA’s transport spokesman in the City of Joburg, expressed concern that the council had promised to buy new buses in 2013, but had only recently done so.
“We are dealing with an ageing fleet. I am deeply concerned about the technical aspect of this. Every day there are bus routes cancelled, continued breakdowns and late arrival of buses, which is damaging the image of Metrobus,” he said.
All of that was because the simple task of ordering budgeted-for buses had been delayed, he added.
De Jager said the other recent incident on February 25, when a Metrobus travelling from Milpark to the CBD skidded on Queen Elizabeth Bridge and plunged off the bridge into a railway yard below, reflected this bad state of the buses.
There were no passengers on the bus.
Metrobus said the 2006 Mercedes-Benz bus was mechanically sound because it had recently been overhauled at the depot workshop.
“Management of Metrobus deeply regrets the accident and the inconvenience to our commuters,” said Metrobus spokeswoman Esther Dreyer. “A thorough investigation will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the accident, and appropriate remedial action will be taken.”
She added that 150 new buses had been ordered and would probably be delivered within a few months.
They would replace more than a third of the ageing fleet with modern, low-floor and dual-fuel, green buses. The buses would advance the city’s low-carbon economy agenda and create jobs.
The idea is for Metrobus to use biogas from landfill sites, sewer plants, and grass cuttings from City Parks.
The Joburg metro police department confirmed the driver would be charged.
JMPD spokeswoman Edna Mamonyane said it appeared the driver had lost control after driving recklessly and negligently.
The driver had sustained minor injuries.
The Star