Cape Town police have arrested the driver of a scholar transport vehicle after a 16-year-old girl was killed when the overloaded taxi overturned in Mitchell’s Plain on Friday morning, reports Cape {town} Etc.
Also read: Police investigate after child’s mutilated and burned body discovered
Police spokesperson Sergeant Captain Frederick van Wyk confirmed that the 25-year-old driver was transporting about 29 school children in a Toyota Quantum when the fatal accident occurred on Swartklip Road, between Tafelberg Road and Spine Road at around 6:30am.
‘Mitchell’s Plain police registered a culpable homicide, driving without a valid driving license, unroadworthy vehicle and overloading case for further investigation,’ said van Wyk.
According to reports, the minibus taxi was driving the children to various schools in Wynberg and Mitchell’s Plain when it lost control and overturned, subsequently killing the 16-year-old teenager and injuring others.
‘A 16-year-old girl was declared dead on the scene by medical personnel due to injuries sustained, while others were transported to a nearby medical facility for treatment,’ added van Wyk.
The taxi driver is set to appear in the Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s court once charged.
The fatal accident follows just days after a microbus taxi carrying 14 minors collided with a truck on Klipfontein Road in Manenberg on Wednesday morning.
Subsequently, the Western Cape Scholar Transport Association (WCSTA) said parents must inspect the vehicles their children use to get to school every morning, reported IOL.
‘The safety of the scholars is all of our responsibility, but parents must check if their child has a proper seat and if the car is roadworthy,’ the publication quoted WCSTA chairman Chumani Ngxumza as saying.
‘We as the operators must also make sure that the driver we employ has all the legal papers and the condition of the car is good. These days, it’s easy to just take a car and transport children but this industry is not regulated. If we could all be part of the association, then we would make sure that every driver has a licence and professional driving permit (PrDP).’
Meanwhile, the Western Cape Government’s (WCG) mobility department has launched an initiative to upskill scholar transport drivers.
Next week, the department will be hosting a special Defensive Driving Workshop together with the Road Accident Fund. The workshop aims to improve road safety for learners and teach drivers crucial skills for transport.
The three-hour workshop will be held from 14 to 16 October and is open to all eligible seven and 16-seater scholar transport operators and drivers who are operating in Cape Town and have existing contracts or arrangements with parents/guardians.
Participation is free of charge and will take place during school hours. For more information and to register for the workshop, visit the WCG website here.
Also read:
Picture: IGugulethu Magazine / Facebook
