Driver arrested after 58 pupils stuffed into minibus taxi
A Limpopo driver has been charged for overloading his minibus taxi with 58 school children.
A video doing the rounds on social media, shows the learners emerging from the stuffed 14-seater minibus in the area of Bela Bela.
The incident happened on Monday.
The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety spokesperson, Joel Seabi says the driver was pulled over by authorities in the Waterberg District.
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Authorities impounded the minibus taxi and the driver charged with overloading.
Seabi says the vehicle was not registered for any category of public transportation.
The department has called upon parents and schools to ensure that vehicles their loved ones travel in for school are fully compliant with the law.
"With schools having been reopened it presents them an opportunity for those who want to play in that space ferrying children to school and some unscrupulous, inconsiderate people who would want to make money have started, vouching into this space and unfortunately do not apply to the department for the relevant operating licenses, but just wake up and start utilizing the motor vehicles to ferry children. Some even may have been in the case of using bakkies to transport these learners."
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"So we are asking parents and schools to really assist us in this case, that whenever they want to get such kind of a transport service, they must check whether they've got the operating permits or operating licenses that have been granted by the department in the province and also ensure that their kids are ferried in a very safe and comfortable way."
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