The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management has called for a full investigation into the accident. Photo: Department of Community Safety and Transport Management.
Scholar buses involved in an accident were not roadworthy
Department calls for a full investigation into the accident which happened earlier this week involving two scholar buses in the North West.
The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management has called for a full investigation into the accident. Photo: Department of Community Safety and Transport Management.
The two scholar buses which crashed into each other on Monday morning, in Christiana in the North West ferrying learners to school were found to be unroadworthy.
The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management has called for a full investigation into the accident which happened earlier this week involving two busses carrying learners.
INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED INTO THE ACCIDENT
The scholar buses were ferrying learners to Kromellenboog Agric Focus Combined in Christiana town.
On the way to school, the two buses were following each other. One bus hit another at the back but didn’t lose control. The accident happened when the two buses were turning in the same direction in the morning.
On Thursday MEC Sello Lehari had a fact-finding meeting on the accident involving two buses that crashed when they both turned in the same direction.
The two buses were carrying 110 learners each bus, only 3 learners are still treated out of 94 that were referred to a hospital after being attended at a local clinic, the department said.
Lehari has instructed Law Enforcement Senior Officials in the department to conduct a thorough investigation.
He said the investigation report should entail whether the two buses were roadworthy on the day of the accident. Further, whether the two drivers are in possession of valid driver’s licenses and confirm the date when the buses started to operate on learner transport services.
THE SCHOLAR BUSES WERE NOT ROADWORTHY
According to the department spokesperson, Boitshoko Moremi the preliminary investigation revealed that the two buses are unroadworthy as the discs displayed on each vehicle are dated 2018 and 2019, respectively.
The MEC has further instructed the service provider to ensure that they transport the learners with roadworthy buses.
He further addressed this message to scholar transport drivers:
“Until the department makes a decision about your future with this contract post the investigation, you must continue in ensuring that learners go to school on time, and you must only do that with compliant buses.
“This is a very serious case. Don’t ever underestimate or think that you have survived. The Department will take drastic steps post the investigation,”
said Lehari.
Lehari said he will have a follow-up meeting on Monday and will arrange a consultative meeting with the school, SGB and learners’ parents on a date that will be announced.
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