A group of 20 pupils were injured on Monday morning when a minibus taxi veered off the road and plunged a few metres down from the KwaKhetha Bridge on the P127 in Impendle, KwaZulu-Natal.
The accident is the third involving scholar transport vehicles in the Umgungundlovu district within four days, said KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Siboniso Duma.
He said this demands an improved focus on ensuring roadworthiness and driver vetting.
Duma called on the SA National Taxi Council in KwaZulu-Natal to work with his office in partnership with the Vehicle Testing Association (VTA) to strengthen oversight of the sector and ensure compliance.
The association, a member of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation, represents private vehicle testing stations responsible for issuing roadworthy certificates.
“We have agreed to work together to isolate elements operating vehicles without roadworthy certificates and to ensure those issuing fraudulent certificates are arrested,” Duma said.
His office was alerted to Monday's crash at about 7.30am by the director of community service in the Impendle municipality, Thami Mkhulisa.
“The most disturbing part is the taxi driver disappeared and law enforcement agencies are looking for him,” Duma said.
The pupils, from two high schools and a primary school, were rushed to Gomane Clinic and Harry Gwala Regional Hospital (Edendale Hospital).
As part of preparations for transport month in October, Duma said the collaboration with the VTA will focus on strengthening legislation on taxi and scholar transport, vetting drivers, enforcing stricter compliance measures and ensuring independent audits.
The partnership will require biannual certificates of roadworthiness for all heavy passenger vehicles, replacing the annual requirement, and ensure all minibuses are inspected within KwaZulu-Natal at accredited testing centres in line with their route permits.
TimesLIVE
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