Transport bosses probe MyCiTi bus crash that left 38 people in hospital

Transport for Cape Town is investigating an accident between three buses on Tuesday that put 38 people in hospital.

The bus driver who allegedly caused the accident between MyCiTi buses at the Civic Centre station had been suspended‚ says mayoral committee member for transport Brett Herron.

Thirty-seven passengers and one bus driver were taken to hospital for check-ups‚ and two passengers sustained spinal and head injuries.

"Preliminary indications are that the other passengers sustained minor injuries and are suffering from shock‚" said Herron.

"I was notified of the accident at around 8.30am and I immediately called for a full-scale investigation into the causes of the incident.

"[We] will ensure that the vehicle operating company that operates the D04 route between Mitchells Plain West and the Civic Centre compiles a comprehensive accident report… by Friday."

The pile-up happened at 8.20am when the D04 bus from Kapteinsklip in Michells Plain drove into a stationary bus. Due to the impact from behind‚ the T01 bus that operates between Dunoon‚ Table View and the city‚ hit another stationary bus – the A01 bus operating on the airport route.

"The passengers on the T01 bus had already disembarked at the time of the incident and the A01 bus had a few passengers on board‚" said Herron. "The D04 bus was full‚ given that it happened in the peak period."

MyCiTi buses operating to and from the Civic Centre station were delayed for about an hour as a result of the collisions. Traffic along Hertzog Boulevard was also severely affected.