The KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department has announced a province-wide clampdown on unroadworthy scholar transport vehicles after a crash on Monday in Impendle left at least 20 learners injured.
MEC Siboniso Duma said traffic inspectors, working with municipal authorities, would be tasked with removing reckless drivers and unsafe minibuses from the road.
Duma confirmed on Tuesday that the driver involved in Monday’s accident had been arrested. He was found to hold only a learner’s licence and no Professional Driving Permit (PrDP), in violation of the National Land Transport Act.
“In KwaZulu-Natal, there are many unroadworthy vehicles used in private scholar transport,” Duma said. “We will remove from our road networks reckless drivers who are behind the spike in accidents that have destroyed families and cut short the lives of innocent people.”
Last week, a school taxi crashed into a crèche in iMbali, Pietermaritzburg, leading to the deaths of five children. Eight others were injured.
The latest accident occurred when a minibus taxi carrying learners aged between eight and 15 plunged off the KwaKhetha Bridge in Impendle. The children were taken to various healthcare facilities, where some are still recovering.
Spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said the department would also hold urgent talks with the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the province to address the increasing number of accidents involving scholar transport.
In addition, the department will partner with the Vehicle Testing Association, part of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation, to strengthen roadworthy checks. All minibuses will be tested at accredited municipal or private testing facilities, aligned with their designated route permits.
“The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport remains committed to prioritising the safety and well-being of all learners across the province,” the department said in a statement.
INSIDE EDUCATION
