Port Elizabeth - Four people died and seven others sustained injuries in an accident on Wednesday morning involving a minibus taxi in Willowvale in the Eastern Cape.
Department of Transport spokesman, Unathi Binqose said a minibus taxi, with 11 occupants lost control and overturned on a gravel road at Nkelekethe Cuttings at around 9am.
Binqose said the taxi was ferrying villagers for their month-end shopping from Shixini Village to Butterworth when the accident happened.
Four passengers, three females and one male, were declared dead on the scene while seven others were rushed to Butterworth Hospital with injuries ranging from critical to minor.
Binqose said the latest accident adds to a spate of accidents on the province’s roads which claimed dozens of lives since the weekend.
On Monday, four people died and 15 others sustained injuries in an accident involving a minibus taxi and a sedan on the N2 road between Hemingway and Gonubie in East London.
He said it was a sad start to October Transport Month which is expected to be launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula in Gauteng this weekend.
Eastern Cape Transport MEC, Weziwe Tikana extended his condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives on the province’s roads.
Tikana called on motorists to be extra cautious and passengers to take charge and call irresponsible drivers to order when they drive recklessly.
“Most of these accidents that we have seen on our roads are down to human error, it is therefore our call to all our road users, motorists and passengers alike, to take charge of their lives. For passengers to call the driver to order when they put their lives at risk and that of other road users through reckless drivers,” said Tikana.