Hundreds of vehicles that transport children to and from school have been tested at the Randburg Testing Station, north of Johannesburg. At least 203 of them have been found to be unroadworthy so far.
The buses are being checked to make sure that they are safe for learners to travel in. Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy has visited the Randburg Testing Station to oversee the inspection of a fleet of 700 scholar transport vehicles. So far 485 buses have been tested and 203 have been found to be defective.
Most of the buses found to be unroadworthy had defective brakes, faulty steering mechanisms, as well as loose wires and bolts. Operators have been given two weeks to repair the buses.
Four Putco buses have been tested and have been found to be in a roadworthy condition. Putco has made headlines recently after 20 people died in an accident involving one of its buses at Meyerton in the Vaal Triangle. The Sedibeng District municipality had declared the bus unsafe to be on the road. But Putco opted to take it to a private testing station where they say it was declared roadworthy.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the Meyerton Putco bus accident has risen to 20. Officials say the latest victim died in hospital overnight. The accident happened last week south of Johannesburg. A memorial service for those who died was held yesterday.
Transport deputy minister, Sindisiwa Chikunga who attended the service says they are worried about public transport. Chikunga says they want to intensify their programmes in the fight against road accidents and they are targeting public transport because of the very reasons that are obvious today
