City of Ekurhuleni: Bus involved in deadly crash roadworthy
Twelve people died on the R21 highway on Tuesday when the vehicle rolled several times before landing on its side, while at least four others died in hospital.
The OR Tambo bus accident resulted in the tragic loss of 12 lives and left 45 individuals injured, including the bus driver.
JOHANNESBURG - The City of Ekurhuleni insists one of its buses involved in a fatal crash that claimed 16 lives was roadworthy.
Twelve people died on the R21 highway on Tuesday when the vehicle rolled several times before landing on its side, while at least four others died in hospital.
ALSO READ: City of Ekurhuleni offers condolences following fatal bus accident
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) is investigating the cause of the crash.
Some survivors of the deadly bus crash said there were passengers standing on the bus, which was travelling from Katlehong to Pomona in Kempton Park.
This is common on buses, which often have a prescribed number of standing passengers they can take.
However, the roadworthiness of the vehicle has been questioned.
Ekurhuleni Transport MMC Andile Mngwevu insisted that all the city’s buses are roadworthy.
“We always do continuous checks if they're fit for purpose, and we can confirm that our bus was in good condition. Hence it does this route on a regular basis.”
Meanwhile, the RTMC said it would conduct a full mechanical investigation on the vehicle.
DRIVER ACCUSED OF BEING NOTORIOUS SPEEDSTER
The Ekurhuleni Metro bus driver involved in the crash is being investigated for allegedly being a notorious speedster.
This is just one of several people who have accused the driver of the Ekurhuleni Metro bus of speeding: “This is the bus I take every day. I always complain that the driver is speeding.”
The RTMC has confirmed that this will be part of its investigation.
Ekurhuleni Metro Police’s William Ntladi said if the driver was speeding, that should be possible to establish.
“Since we are on the national road – R21, which is a SANRAL [South African National Roads Agency] road – we believe that with the SANRAL cameras, investigators will be able to follow that up.”
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent his condolences to the families of the deceased and has called for drivers to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy.