Speeding has been ruled out as a possible cause of the accident where a Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) bus left the roadway on the R300 and landed on its side on Monday afternoon.
This was confirmed by GABS spokesperson, Bronwen Dyke-Beyer, who said: “(We) can confirm an incident which occurred at approximately 5:45pm on Monday evening on the N2 R300 turn-off. At this stage the exact cause is not clear, but our onboard systems have ruled out speeding as a possible cause.”
“Golden Arrow officials and emergency personnel were on the scene and all injured passengers received treatment, 52 passengers were treated for minor to moderate injuries – the six moderate injuries were reportedly related to neck and back pain. Our officials will be in contact with the injured passengers to check in on them and explain the Road Accident Fund claim procedure and assist them with all of the necessary paperwork. The bus driver was suspended immediately, and an intensive investigation will now take place to determine the cause of the accident,” said Dyke-Beyer.
She added that they were committed to road safety.
“Golden Arrow operates more than 1000 buses across the metropole. We are acutely aware of the essential public service that we provide, and this is reflected in our approach to road safety. All prospective bus drivers undergo rigorous training and must demonstrate outstanding professional driving skills before being allowed to operate as a Golden Arrow Duty Bus Driver…Our buses are all sent for roadworthy certification every six months and are subject to a comprehensive preventative maintenance schedule,” said Dyke-Beyer.
Enquiries to police were not answered by deadline on Tuesday.
Cape Times