A green Toyota Venture driving slowly in the emergency lane on Leondale Road attracted the attention of Metro Police officers recently.
The EMPD officers from the Katlehong district were doing peak hour patrols in the area last Monday morning at about 7am.
When they stopped the vehicle, they were appalled at the extremely poor condition of the vehicle.
The wrecked Toyota Venture had defective brakes, broken passenger windows and door handles, worn-out tyres, faulty steering mechanism and all the lights not working.
An additional loose make-shift chair used as a car seat was found in the vehicle.
Officers found that the “school bus” had 21 children inside, a number that exceeds the permitted number of passengers the vehicle should carry.
The children were between four and ten years of age.
Furthermore, officers also discovered that the 25-year-old driver did not possess a valid drivers’ licence or a professional driving permit (PDP) as required by law.
The vehicle was discontinued by the officers and the driver was instructed to summon a breakdown vehicle to tow the battered Venture to a place for repairs.
The driver was issued with a fine of R300 for driving in the emergency lane and R2 000 for driving without a valid driver’s licence.
“Parents and teachers are urged to ensure that children are transported in roadworthy and suitable vehicles,” said EMPD spokesman Wilfred Kgasago.
“Vehicles found to be unsafe to transport children must be reported to the authorities promptly.”
