Driver Crammed 58 Kids In Taxi, Not Registered For Public Transport

The driver of a minibus taxi pulled over by Bela-Bela metro police in Limpopo on Monday could face more charges after 58 school children were found crammed into his vehicle.

In a video on social media, authorities were seen counting the children as they climbed out of the 14-seater vehicle. The man was arrested for overloading and had his vehicle impounded.

The provincial Transport Department’s spokesperson Joel Seabi said the vehicle was not registered for public transportation.

“This means that the driver didn’t have an operating license to transport learners, and we also found out that the vehicle is not registered with the local taxi association,” Seabi said.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) criticised the Education Department, saying it failed to provide adequate transport for pupils. The party wrote to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga asking her to provide adequate scholar transport.

“Despite repeated requests and failed commitments by National Treasury, there is still no sign of a scholar transport grant. The DA is of the view that such a grant could assist significantly in addressing the lack of reliable and safe scholar transport – if these funds are used solely for this purpose and are administered by the Department of Basic Education,” the DA said in a statement.

EWN