VANDERBIJLPARK – While the wounds are still fresh from the recent taxi crash that claimed the lives of 14 pupils, parents are now taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of pupils who travel in scholar transport.
On January 20, a taxi ferrying pupils in Vanderbijlpark left thousands of social media users in shock and sparked outrage when a video surfaced showing 32 children stuffed in a taxi.
The minibus taxi was stopped outside Ibali Complex in C.E 3. A video shows a woman counting young primary school students as they stood on the side of the road, while others were in a taxi.
Parents were up in arms, forcing the driver to call for other vehicles to assist him.
“Stand on the side, you are not going anywhere in this packed taxi. We would rather wait so that you get to school safely.”
In a heated confrontation between one of the parents and the driver, the driver was seen poked while he was commanded to call for backup.
“Where are you going with 30-plus children? This car is not going anywhere,” said another parent in the clip.
The video clip made rounds on social media while vows made by the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela were still fresh. During a press briefing held in Sebokeng, Diale-Tlabela promised to intensify road safety rules, yet drivers still hit the streets as if nothing happened.
“We will not compromise when it comes to the safety of our children. Any scholar transport operator who puts learners at risk will face serious consequences,” she said.
Following the court appearance of Ayanda Dludla, the 22-year-old driver of the accident that claimed 14 pupils on January 19, Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona touched on overloading.
He was reflecting on the seriousness of the video making rounds.
“We know that drivers do overload with our children. We are hopeful that all the transport facilitators can see what happened on Monday. That should be a deterrent that one can be charged for murder instead of culpable homicide. We need to be careful about how we move when we are on the road. Let’s adhere to the rules of the road,” he said.
