article from East Coast Radio Newswatch
The KZN Transport department says it respects Friday’s court ruling which allows SA Roadlink to continue operating on the province’s roads. But, it has warned that it is keeping a close watch on luxury buses traveling through KZN, and will continue its clamp down if they are found to not be toeing the line.
SA Roadlink sought an urgent interdict on Friday, to prevent MEC Bheki Cele from going ahead with his decision to ban its buses in the province.
This past weekend, eight long-distance buses - including five SA Roadlink buses - were impounded near Pitermaritzburg for various irregularities.
The bus company has since accused the department of unfairly targeting their vehicles, but the Department of Transport’s Nonkululeko Mbatha says this is not the case.
“If you are following the news closely, it’s not only KZN in as far as SA Roadlink is concerned. It’s not mainly targeting them, we are targeting all luxury buses - all of them.
“But we keep on finding fault consistently to one company and it is SA Roadlink. In Cape Town for instance, two buses were suspended yesterday for unroadworthiness. In Johannesburg, one SA Roadlink bus was caught over speeding. So it’s not only in KZN.”
Monday, December 29, 2008
29 December 2008: Roadlink's future in the balance?
article from IOL
By Nompumelelo Magwaza
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and bus company SA Roadlink will hold a press conference on Monday to clarify the way forward in their legal battle.
The company won a high court application to overturn a ban by KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Bheki Cele on its buses operating in the province.
Two weeks ago, a Roadlink coach crashed on the southbound N2 near Hibberdene and rolled down an embankment. Eleven people died and two were admitted to hospital, including a 2-year-old child.
Meanwhile, investigations by the Department of Transport have revealed that the bus which was involved in the crash had no permit to operate in the province.
Department of Transport spokesperson Nonkululeko Mbatha said all the buses operating in the province were given individual permits. This bus did not have one
"Our investigations have shown that the bus that was involved in an accident did not have a permit," she said.
An SA Roadlink spokesperson said he could not comment on the matter because everything would be discussed at the press conference on Monday.
By Nompumelelo Magwaza
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and bus company SA Roadlink will hold a press conference on Monday to clarify the way forward in their legal battle.
The company won a high court application to overturn a ban by KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Bheki Cele on its buses operating in the province.
Two weeks ago, a Roadlink coach crashed on the southbound N2 near Hibberdene and rolled down an embankment. Eleven people died and two were admitted to hospital, including a 2-year-old child.
Meanwhile, investigations by the Department of Transport have revealed that the bus which was involved in the crash had no permit to operate in the province.
Department of Transport spokesperson Nonkululeko Mbatha said all the buses operating in the province were given individual permits. This bus did not have one
"Our investigations have shown that the bus that was involved in an accident did not have a permit," she said.
An SA Roadlink spokesperson said he could not comment on the matter because everything would be discussed at the press conference on Monday.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
19 December 2008: Roadlink tries to overturn ban
articel from East Coast Radio Newswatch
SA Roadlink has filed an application for an urgent interdict in the Pietermaritzburg High Court to try and stop a ban imposed on it from operating in the province.
Earlier this week, Transport MEC Bheki Cele announced that the busses would not be allowed onto KZN roads as from midnight.
The unprecedented step was taken in the wake of Tuesday’s horror bus accident near Hibberdene, which left 11 people dead.
He said the ban would be in place until an investigation into the latest crash had been finalised.
SA Roadlink claimed it hadn’t been officially informed of the ban and requested a meeting with MEC which was supposed to take place today.
However, Cele says the meeting did not occur because when he arrived, he was given the court papers.
“We are waiting anxiously. If the court decides we can continue, we will definitely continue. If the court doesn’t pronounce, our decision stands and we will continue to close them down.”
SA Roadlink has filed an application for an urgent interdict in the Pietermaritzburg High Court to try and stop a ban imposed on it from operating in the province.
Earlier this week, Transport MEC Bheki Cele announced that the busses would not be allowed onto KZN roads as from midnight.
The unprecedented step was taken in the wake of Tuesday’s horror bus accident near Hibberdene, which left 11 people dead.
He said the ban would be in place until an investigation into the latest crash had been finalised.
SA Roadlink claimed it hadn’t been officially informed of the ban and requested a meeting with MEC which was supposed to take place today.
However, Cele says the meeting did not occur because when he arrived, he was given the court papers.
“We are waiting anxiously. If the court decides we can continue, we will definitely continue. If the court doesn’t pronounce, our decision stands and we will continue to close them down.”
Monday, December 22, 2008
22 December 2008: Roadlink busses impounded
At least five SA Roadlink buses were impounded along KwaZulu-Natal's busy N3 freeway at the weekend during a massive road blitz, the transport department said on Monday.
Spokesperson Nonkululeko Mbatha said eight luxury coaches were impounded, five of them from SA Roadlink.
"Of the five SA Roadlink buses, three were found to be unroadworthy and another two drivers were travelling without permits."
The other three luxury coaches - of City to City, SA Tours, and Gumede Transport - were also found with defects.
The impounding of SA Roadlink buses comes after the national bus operator on Friday obtained an interim court order in the Pietermaritzburg High Court preventing the provincial transport MEC Bheki Cele from suspending its operating licence.
Cele has to file replying papers by December 28 and the two legal teams will be back in court on January 8 to argue the matter.
Cele withdrew the company's operating permit pending the outcome of an investigation into a crash last week, involving an SA Roadlink bus and two other vehicles, which claimed the lives of 11 people. - Sapa
21 December 2008: Roadlink fears victimisation
article from IOL
By Niyanta Singh
Despite securing a High Court order restraining MEC Bheki Cele from enforcing a moratorium on the operation of Roadlink buses in the province, the company's managing director, Allan Reddy, believes their troubles are far from over.
He said, "The judge read Cele the riot act. But we are now concerned that we are going to be victimised on the road. We believe every vehicle of ours is going to be tested more than once, just to get back at us.
"Because they lost in court and failed to stop us, they are going to look for every excuse to pull our buses off the road to validate their initial call for a moratorium."
Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Isaac Madondo said he could see no reason why the moratorium had been placed on the bus company.
He said investigations were still under way as to the number of Roadlink buses that had been involved in accidents or were unroadworthy, and it could well emerge that the company was not at fault.
To suspend the operation of the business in the province at this moment was not the way to deal with the matter.
What was important now was whether the moratorium would cause prejudice or irreparable harm to Roadlink, said Madondo.
The urgent order obtained by SA Roadlink Passenger Services will allow the company to operate through the peak festive season, returning to court on January 8.
Madondo said there was no evidence, other than the fear of the MEC, to show why a blanket suspension of SA Roadlink's operating licences should be imposed.
He said that it was unfair of Cele to deprive SA Roadlink of its right to operate without justifiable grounds. He said it could not be argued that the only reasonable step to prevent further road carnage was to suspend the operating licences of the buses.
Madondo said he was aware of the public outcry, but any decision must be fair and just and the law must be allowed to take its course.
Advocate Yoga Moodley SC, appearing for Cele, urged the court not to entertain the application by SA Roadlink.
He said the MEC felt strongly that serious issues of public interest were at stake, and suggested that while the bus company might suffer economic damages that could be addressed by way of damages claims, passengers could go to hospital, or to their deaths.
Moodley said Cele had first become aware of the pending court action just before midday on Friday, while preparing for a meeting with the company's representatives, and that SA Roadlink had acted in bad faith by arranging to meet him and then serving court papers behind his back.
Barry Roux SC, for SA Roadlink, responded that he had documentary proof that the court papers had been sent and had arrived at the MEC's offices the previous night.
By Niyanta Singh
Despite securing a High Court order restraining MEC Bheki Cele from enforcing a moratorium on the operation of Roadlink buses in the province, the company's managing director, Allan Reddy, believes their troubles are far from over.
He said, "The judge read Cele the riot act. But we are now concerned that we are going to be victimised on the road. We believe every vehicle of ours is going to be tested more than once, just to get back at us.
"Because they lost in court and failed to stop us, they are going to look for every excuse to pull our buses off the road to validate their initial call for a moratorium."
Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Isaac Madondo said he could see no reason why the moratorium had been placed on the bus company.
He said investigations were still under way as to the number of Roadlink buses that had been involved in accidents or were unroadworthy, and it could well emerge that the company was not at fault.
To suspend the operation of the business in the province at this moment was not the way to deal with the matter.
What was important now was whether the moratorium would cause prejudice or irreparable harm to Roadlink, said Madondo.
The urgent order obtained by SA Roadlink Passenger Services will allow the company to operate through the peak festive season, returning to court on January 8.
Madondo said there was no evidence, other than the fear of the MEC, to show why a blanket suspension of SA Roadlink's operating licences should be imposed.
He said that it was unfair of Cele to deprive SA Roadlink of its right to operate without justifiable grounds. He said it could not be argued that the only reasonable step to prevent further road carnage was to suspend the operating licences of the buses.
Madondo said he was aware of the public outcry, but any decision must be fair and just and the law must be allowed to take its course.
Advocate Yoga Moodley SC, appearing for Cele, urged the court not to entertain the application by SA Roadlink.
He said the MEC felt strongly that serious issues of public interest were at stake, and suggested that while the bus company might suffer economic damages that could be addressed by way of damages claims, passengers could go to hospital, or to their deaths.
Moodley said Cele had first become aware of the pending court action just before midday on Friday, while preparing for a meeting with the company's representatives, and that SA Roadlink had acted in bad faith by arranging to meet him and then serving court papers behind his back.
Barry Roux SC, for SA Roadlink, responded that he had documentary proof that the court papers had been sent and had arrived at the MEC's offices the previous night.
21 December 2008: Drivers tell of 38-hour shifts
By Charmel Bowman and Chris Makhaye
What recourse do bus passengers have if they see the driver falling asleep or driving recklessly? As a "captive" observer - almost nothing, and KwaZulu-Natal's MEC for transport, Bheki Cele, says it is time for change.
"In view of what has happened, there is an urgent need for a hotline to be set up so bus passengers can voice their concerns," he said.
Cele said a centralised information centre where complaints could be dealt with and acted upon would be very useful. If these calls were recorded, they would also provide evidence of any breach in the public transport rules.
He said his department had been turned into a call centre since the recent SA Roadlink crash, with hundreds of calls from people worried about travelling by bus, especially during this busy festive period.
He said all bus operators, and not only SA Roadlink, would have to be looked at.
This week, Cele withdrew SA Roadlink's permit, saying the company's buses were "coffins on wheels" because of a string of deadly accidents. On Friday, the Pietermaritzburg High Court overturned the ban.
SA Roadlink drivers and porters who spoke to the Sunday Tribune on condition of anonymity this week claimed the company was not concerned about passenger safety.
"To run a profitable enterprise they (company management) compromise the safety of passengers," said one driver.
"We often have to work for up to 38 hours without rest. This is because there is no basic salary here. We get paid according to the hours we work, so overtime ensures we take home something extra."
The driver said, "They push us to the limit. For example, the driver who was involved in that accident (on Tuesday morning) had driven from Johannesburg to Cape Town. In Cape Town, he was told to drive to Durban, without having any rest."
SA Roadlink maintains that passenger safety is their main priority, despite their accident record. There have been at least six accidents involving Roadlink buses in the past two years, resulting in 27 deaths and nearly 200 injuries.
Herman Steyn, risk manager for SA Roadlink, said measures had been taken to ensure passenger safety.
"We have introduced a number of measures to ensure the safety of our passengers, including ensuring our vehicles are roadworthy. Our entire fleet underwent voluntary roadworthy tests at government testing stations in preparation for the holiday season," he said.
SA Roadlink chief executive, Allan Reddy, said he felt the company was being victimised by the media.
"Many other bus operators have had accidents, but why are we singled out? The accident on Tuesday is still being investigated. However, opinions have been formed and we have already been found guilty."
He said accidents were a liability for any bus operator and the accidents involving his company were not caused by negligence.
"Our drivers are well trained and undergo continuous training programmes to try to improve on our high level of safety.
"When you compare the accident record of SA Roadlink with that of other bus operators, it is similar."
He denied claims made by drivers that they had to work 36-hour shifts, saying that was simply not true.
"Every trip is scheduled in advance. Time spent on the bus and driving time behind the wheel are different things. We also have two co-drivers for every shift."
The SA Roadlink website lists the company's safety initiatives, which include checking coaches before every trip, limiting a driver to 48 hours a week behind the wheel with mandatory rest periods of 12 hours in between shifts.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
20 December 2008: Roadlink to roll on
By Candice Bailey and Sapa
National bus operator SA Roadlink on Friday night obtained an interim court order in the Pietermaritzburg High Court preventing KwaZulu Natal transport MEC Bheki Cele from suspending its operating licence.
Judge Isaac Madondo said there was a possibility that SA Roadlink would suffer irreparable harm and Cele had not provided any evidence before the court that there would be more accidents.
Madondo's decision to lift the ban was opposed by the MEC.
Cele has to file replying papers by December 28 and both Roadlink and Cele's legal team will be back in court on January 8 to argue the matter.
Earlier on Friday Cele told a press conference in Pietermaritzburg he was due to meet the management of the company when he was informed that it had lodged papers seeking an interdict. The meeting did not take place.
On Wednesday, Cele announced he was withdrawing the operator's licence and all its buses would have to stop operating in the province from midnight on Friday.
Cele said: "Roadlink has taken us to court. They are trying to nullify the decision we have taken."
Meanwhile, Roadlink's competitors want the company investigated by the National Department of Transport. The SA Bus Operators Association (Saboa) said the probe was necessary because of the bad image of the bus industry being created by Roadlink.
"They are damaging the image of the industry. People don't make a distinction between inter-city bus services and it's not good for business," said Saboa executive manager Eric Cornelius.
The operator is not one of the members of the association, which is a voluntary organisation.
Cornelius said the association was supporting government on the withdrawal of the operator's licences in KZN as they too, were very concerned about their accident rates in the past year or two.
"If you want to make money you need to make sure that you are able to operate a safe service."
Cornelius said. He added that in 2008 there would be changes in the licensing of vehicles, through the operations and technical accreditation system.
The system, which will come into effect through the National Land Transfer Bill currently in Parliament, will regulate the operations and maintenance systems of buses.
19 December 2008: 'SA Roadlink stinks'
The decision to ban SA Roadlink buses from the roads was justified in order to save lives, KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Bheki Cele said on Friday.
In an interview, Cele pulled no punches in his criticism of the national bus operator, which has a history of accidents in the province, with several of its buses being declared unroadworthy by provincial authorities over the past two years.
"They are just troublesome and everything about them stinks. Their owners' attitudes stink, their buses stink and their [compliance with] labour laws stink," he said.
Cele has withdrawn the company's operating permit pending the outcome of an investigation into Tuesday morning's crash, involving an SA Roadlink bus and two other vehicles, which claimed the lives of 11 people.
Drivers working for the operator, Cele said, had complained of working under poor conditions and newspapers had reported that drivers were told to "double-up" on the roads.
Cele is expected to meet the operator's owner on Friday afternoon to discuss the matter but the MEC was adamant that he stood by his decision and that he would not be persuaded otherwise.
A press briefing would then be held in Burger Street, Pietermaritzburg at 2:30pm.
In the latest incident, Cele said, on Thursday afternoon another SA Roadlink bus got into trouble on the road.
The bus had left Durban and was headed to Johannesburg when it got stuck near Inchanga.
"It had an oil leak."
On the Tuesday of the fatal crash, yet another Roadlink bus had gotten stuck in the Umkomaas area.
"It was stuck for nearly 15 hours and police officers had to go and buy food for the passengers until they could be taken home by another bus."
The MEC said he was tired of the bus company and its unroadworthy buses. He had given a deadline to SA Roadlink buses across the province's border to return to KwaZulu-Natal.
"They have until midnight to cross over into KZN. Any bus found after midnight will be impounded."
He urged commuters to rather pay a little more money and take a safer bus rather than one with a history of "trouble".
"For SA Roadlink, it's business as usual and for me its my legal obligation to take them off our roads because safety is the first priority.
"A while back when the company was in the spotlight... the owners promised us they would move heaven and earth to make sure their buses were safe and they did not do that."
The company's chairperson Allen Reddy said Roadlink buses were certified roadworthy by government testing centres in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Cele denied this, saying: "Then they must have inspected their own buses." -Sapa
19 December 2008: I won't back down: Cele
By Arthi Sanpath
Transport MEC Bheki Cele on Friday vowed not to back down on his ban on SA Roadlink buses in KwaZulu-Natal.
He also pledged to establish roadblocks throughout the province to stop the buses if they tried to defy his suspension of the service, which takes effect at midnight.
Speaking before a meeting with Alan Reddy, chairman of SA Roadlink, Cele said he would not relent.
"There is no way that I will change my mind. It's about defending the weak."
He said SA Roadlink's purpose was to make money, while his department's duty was to protect lives. This is where the clash occurred.
Paul Browning, an independent transport consultant who also consults with the national Department of Transport, said there was an urgent need for a body to monitor buses on the roads.
Browning said the industry was unregulated and, unless urgent action was taken, more lives could be lost in bus accidents.
He has suggested that long-distance buses use a "Black Box", as well as a body of "traffic controllers" similar to that in the aviation industry, to monitor buses on the roads.
Browning's comments come after the horrific SA Roadlink bus crash on Tuesday morning that claimed 11 lives in Hibberdene, including six members of one family.
But that was not the only incident in which SA Roadlink buses were involved in accidents, Cele has pointed out.
Since December 2006, several accidents had been recorded; 23 people had died and countless others were injured. Bus drivers had also been caught under the influence of alcohol, Cele said yesterday.
On Tuesday, Cele slapped a ban on the company, to come into effect at midnight on Friday, to stop it operating in the province.
SA Roadlink chairman Allan Reddy has defiantly said the company would continue operating.
Browning said the intercity bus industry began in the mid 1980s and was an immediate success, but the advent of low-cost airlines took "a big slice out of the coach market". This resulted in bus companies finding themselves under huge financial constraints, which he thought might be the underlying reason for the lack of maintenance.
"The laws in place are loosely enforced, and logbook checks and maintenance records are probably not done as frequently or with as much rigour as needed," said Brown.
He added that operating policies were also of major concern.
"Drivers are made to work extensive hours and probably put under pressure because everything is operating on tight margins."
He questioned whether drivers were being trained properly and allowed to take the required amount of breaks and rest periods to be alert while driving.
"Maybe we need a mechanism similar to a plane's Black Box to record all mechanical details."
He also suggested creating a body similar to that of the air traffic controllers which would be able to monitor the buses as they travelled from city to city.
"The buses would be monitored from an independent place and action would be taken if bus drivers were speeding, for example."
He suggested that the department of transport's Road Traffic Management Corporation might be the body to co-ordinate a traffic control centre for intercity coaches.
But the lack of intervention from the authorities might be the result of a lack of analysis of the problems faced by the coach liner industry, said Rob Handfield-Jones, public affairs manager for Arrive Alive.
He said there had not been any new research into the number of crashes involving buses.
The last research was completed in 1998, and the data from that showed that one in three buses was involved in an accident.
Handfield-Jones said that data showed there was a 6.9% chance of being a fatality if a person commuted by bus. "In 2006, this percentage rose to 12.02%, which means it practically doubled," he said.
"With good data, one can present these facts to parliament and resolve to take action because we would know where the problem lies. Right now, we are groping in the dark," said Handfield-Jones.
This lack of research and understanding of the causes of the accidents was an indication of an industry operating on a "free-for-all" principle.
He gave the example of the bus industry in Australia where it was mandatory for roll-cages to be installed in buses and three-point seatbelts for passengers.
It was important for the bus industry operators to demonstrate that they were concerned about the welfare of their passengers, he said.
"They need to ensure that their vehicles were well maintained and up to date with the latest safety technology," said Handfield-Jones.
Additional reporting by Mpume Madlala
19 December 2008: Passengers board buses despite ban
By Beauregard Tromp and Bonile Ngqiyaza
While national bus operator SA Roadlink tried to avoid a ban on operating throughout KwaZulu-Natal, passengers at Joburg's Park station were left with little option other than to get on the buses.
Roadlink on Thursday challenged the right of KwaZulu Natal Safety and Security MEC Bheki Cele to suspend its operations in the province, after 11 people died in a Roadlink bus crash earlier this week.
Roadlink chairperson Allan Reddy described Cele's actions as "unprofessional" and said his action would be unconstitutional if he proceeded with it.
At Park station, terminals were packed to capacity, with people making their way home to all parts of the country, many of them brandishing tickets to travel with the much maligned Roadlink.
Many of the passengers patiently queueing to board their Roadlink bus were unaware of the horrific accident in KwaZulu-Natal, and expressed concern about their safety.
"The MEC doesn't have authority to suspend permits just like that," Reddy said on Thursday.
Flanked by Roadlink risk manager Herman Steyn and spokesperson Sam Fidelis, Reddy showed correspondence from the company's lawyers sent on Thursday to Cele regarding the impending suspension, which is due to start at midnight on Friday.
Reddy said a meeting had been scheduled with Cele today (Friday) to "clear up these issues".
In the letter dated Thursday, Roadlink legal representative Stephnie Steyn said the bus company had not received notification of the suspension two days ago, as KwaZulu-Natal authorities had claimed.
Steyn said any action taken had to be in line with the constitution and the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, and threatened to take the MEC to court.
Reddy said the company had hired independent forensic experts to investigate the cause of this week's crash.
Fidelis promised that passengers who didn't want to use Roadlink because of the impending suspension would be refunded.
The South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union welcomed Cele's decision as "long overdue".
18 December 2008: Busses passed state tests - SA Roadlink
article from IOL
All safety precautions were taken to ensure the roadworthiness of SA Roadlink buses, the company said on Thursday.
Chairman Allen Reddy said all SA Roadlink buses were tested at government test centres and certified roadworthy before the festive season began.
Reddy was speaking following the withdrawal of the national bus operator's licence to operate in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.
The bus involved in the accident on Tuesday was certified roadworthy before the accident, and was retested after the crash with no faults found, said Reddy.
"We are 100 percent sure the bus was in a roadworthy condition."
"We have not received legal notification from the office of the MEC [KZN Transport MEC Bheki Cele], and thus it is business as usual," Reddy said.
All safety precautions were taken to ensure the roadworthiness of SA Roadlink buses, the company said on Thursday.
Chairman Allen Reddy said all SA Roadlink buses were tested at government test centres and certified roadworthy before the festive season began.
Reddy was speaking following the withdrawal of the national bus operator's licence to operate in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.
The bus involved in the accident on Tuesday was certified roadworthy before the accident, and was retested after the crash with no faults found, said Reddy.
"We are 100 percent sure the bus was in a roadworthy condition."
"We have not received legal notification from the office of the MEC [KZN Transport MEC Bheki Cele], and thus it is business as usual," Reddy said.
Friday, December 19, 2008
18 December 2008: SA Roadlink suspends bus ticket sales
article from IOL News
By Barbara Cole, Mpume Madlala and Sapa
Under-fire bus company SA Roadlink halted ticket sales at its Durban offices this morning despite Wednesday's "business as usual" response to the transport MEC's plan to ban them from KwaZulu-Natal roads.
Staff at the company's offices at Durban station said they would only sell tickets that could be redeemed for travel on Thursday.
When approached for comment on tickets not being sold for trips out of the city on Friday, SA Roadlink risk manager Herman Steyn said he was not aware of this development.
The ban has been slapped on SA Roadlink from midnight tomorrow in the wake of a horror road accident in Hibberdene on Tuesday which killed 11 people, including six members of one family.
Sapa identified the occupants of the bus who died as: Komrad Brookes, Steven Brookes, 6, Nonkululo Talatala, LA Ndebele and a woman, whose details have yet to be released.
Issues have also been raised concerning the safety of buses.
It emerged during a briefing by Hibiscus Coast Protection Services head Victor Chetty that a great portion of the body of the bus was made of fibreglass and did not have any reinforcing such as roll bars.
Cele, who was at the briefing, told Sapa that: "We will have to raise our concerns with SABS and the (National) Department of Transport.
"Maybe, like the taxi industry, the time has come to recap buses."
The KZN ban has had a domino effect with Western Cape traffic authorities carrying out random inspections on all long distance buses.
Merle Lourens of the Cape Town's traffic services said the withdrawal by the KZN provincial traffic authorities of the operating licence of the SA Roadlink bus company after several recent fatal crashes, was a valuable lesson to traffic police around the country.
Steyn said last night that although the media had told him that MEC Bheki Cele had announced that SA Roadlink's permits would be revoked from midnight tomorrow, the company knew nothing about it.
"A permit is not something you obtain from the shelf. There are certain legal processes. It is also not possible to just stop it or withdraw it by word of mouth," said Steyn.
"Our legal people have sent letters to the MEC's office. We are calling for a meeting and we are pretty confident that we will resolve this in the next day or two."
Steyn said SA Roadlink had hired a team of independent forensic experts to investigate the cause of the crash. "There were three vehicles involved, and the cause of the accident has not yet been established," he said.
Safety remained a high priority, especially during the busy holiday period, Steyn said, and the entire fleet had undergone voluntary roadworthy tests at government vehicle testing stations in preparation for the peak holiday season.
Other safety measures included buying six new vehicles for the festive season. And before any trip was undertaken, "all business undergo preventative maintenance checks and brake testing," at state-of-the-art workshops.
Meanwhile, the National Department of Transport announced last night that following recent crashes involving SA Roadlink, it had instructed the Road Management Corporation to launch an investigation.
Crashes involving the company's buses had increased "resulting in the loss of innocent lives and injury to many people. The Department is very concerned about this situation."
Cele told a press conference yesterday that Roadlink's suspension would remain in place until the outcome of an urgent investigation into whether the company's operation was "conducive for safe public transport".
Cele said that SA Roadlink was the "most troublesome" bus operator in the province and told how representatives maintained there were no problems, saying that it had the biggest fleet in the country.
"What does that matter when so many people are dying," Cele said.
As far as he was concerned, "the company's attitude stinks".
In response, Steyn said that he had been told of the allegations, but he did not want to respond to them in the media. "We want to talk to him directly and sort it out," he said.
By Barbara Cole, Mpume Madlala and Sapa
Under-fire bus company SA Roadlink halted ticket sales at its Durban offices this morning despite Wednesday's "business as usual" response to the transport MEC's plan to ban them from KwaZulu-Natal roads.
Staff at the company's offices at Durban station said they would only sell tickets that could be redeemed for travel on Thursday.
When approached for comment on tickets not being sold for trips out of the city on Friday, SA Roadlink risk manager Herman Steyn said he was not aware of this development.
The ban has been slapped on SA Roadlink from midnight tomorrow in the wake of a horror road accident in Hibberdene on Tuesday which killed 11 people, including six members of one family.
Sapa identified the occupants of the bus who died as: Komrad Brookes, Steven Brookes, 6, Nonkululo Talatala, LA Ndebele and a woman, whose details have yet to be released.
Issues have also been raised concerning the safety of buses.
It emerged during a briefing by Hibiscus Coast Protection Services head Victor Chetty that a great portion of the body of the bus was made of fibreglass and did not have any reinforcing such as roll bars.
Cele, who was at the briefing, told Sapa that: "We will have to raise our concerns with SABS and the (National) Department of Transport.
"Maybe, like the taxi industry, the time has come to recap buses."
The KZN ban has had a domino effect with Western Cape traffic authorities carrying out random inspections on all long distance buses.
Merle Lourens of the Cape Town's traffic services said the withdrawal by the KZN provincial traffic authorities of the operating licence of the SA Roadlink bus company after several recent fatal crashes, was a valuable lesson to traffic police around the country.
Steyn said last night that although the media had told him that MEC Bheki Cele had announced that SA Roadlink's permits would be revoked from midnight tomorrow, the company knew nothing about it.
"A permit is not something you obtain from the shelf. There are certain legal processes. It is also not possible to just stop it or withdraw it by word of mouth," said Steyn.
"Our legal people have sent letters to the MEC's office. We are calling for a meeting and we are pretty confident that we will resolve this in the next day or two."
Steyn said SA Roadlink had hired a team of independent forensic experts to investigate the cause of the crash. "There were three vehicles involved, and the cause of the accident has not yet been established," he said.
Safety remained a high priority, especially during the busy holiday period, Steyn said, and the entire fleet had undergone voluntary roadworthy tests at government vehicle testing stations in preparation for the peak holiday season.
Other safety measures included buying six new vehicles for the festive season. And before any trip was undertaken, "all business undergo preventative maintenance checks and brake testing," at state-of-the-art workshops.
Meanwhile, the National Department of Transport announced last night that following recent crashes involving SA Roadlink, it had instructed the Road Management Corporation to launch an investigation.
Crashes involving the company's buses had increased "resulting in the loss of innocent lives and injury to many people. The Department is very concerned about this situation."
Cele told a press conference yesterday that Roadlink's suspension would remain in place until the outcome of an urgent investigation into whether the company's operation was "conducive for safe public transport".
Cele said that SA Roadlink was the "most troublesome" bus operator in the province and told how representatives maintained there were no problems, saying that it had the biggest fleet in the country.
"What does that matter when so many people are dying," Cele said.
As far as he was concerned, "the company's attitude stinks".
In response, Steyn said that he had been told of the allegations, but he did not want to respond to them in the media. "We want to talk to him directly and sort it out," he said.
18 December 2008: SA Roadlink buses 'roadworthy'
article from News24
All safety precautions were taken to ensure the roadworthiness of SA Roadlink buses, the company said on Thursday.
All safety precautions were taken to ensure the roadworthiness of SA Roadlink buses, the company said on Thursday.
Chairperson Allen Reddy said all SA Roadlink buses were tested at government test centres and certified roadworthy before the festive season began.
This, in the wake of a crash in KwaZulu-Natal in which 11 people died when a bus collided with two cars on Tuesday.
Reddy was speaking following the withdrawal of the national bus operator's licence to operate in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.
The bus involved in the accident on Tuesday was certified roadworthy before the accident, and was retested after the crash with no faults found, said Reddy.
"We are 100% sure the bus was in a roadworthy condition."
"We have not received legal notification from the office of the MEC [KZN Transport MEC Bheki Cele], and thus it is business as usual," Reddy said.
The company's buses would still be able to operate in the rest of the country's eight provinces.
The decision has been welcomed by the South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union as a "long overdue" disciplining of private bus operators.
KwaZulu-Natal transport department spokesperson Nonkululeko Mbatha said the department was handling the matter of legal notice and representation "accordingly".
At a press conference in Johannesburg on Thursday, Reddy and SA Roadlink spokesperson Sam Fidelis said they would hold talks with Cele in Pietermaritzburg on Friday.
Reddy said at the briefing that the bus which crashed was certified roadworthy beforehand and no negligence on the company's part was found in subsequent tests.
He added that SA Roadlink owned a "state-of-the-art" depot in City Deep, Johannesburg, which carried out safety checks on coaches, including brake testing.
Responding to the allegations that most of the bus was made of fibreglass, Reddy said it was South African Bureau of Standards approved.
"The buses are used throughout the world and are state-of-the-art."
After meeting taxi industry bosses on Monday, Cele said all public transport vehicles - taxis, minibus taxis and buses - caught speeding, overloaded and unroadworthy would be confiscated and impounded.
"We won't just issue a ticket, we will arrest the driver and impound the vehicles," he said.
- SAPA
18 December 2008: Roadlink showdown looms
articel from East Coast Radio Newswatch
The SA Roadlink saga’s hotting up. The beleaguered bus company has requested an urgent meeting with KZN Transport MEC Bheki Cele - to discuss his ban on Roadlink buses operating in this province.
The SA Roadlink saga’s hotting up. The beleaguered bus company has requested an urgent meeting with KZN Transport MEC Bheki Cele - to discuss his ban on Roadlink buses operating in this province.
The company maintains it still hasn’t been officially informed of the move, and that it’s got it’s lawyers involved.
The drastic step was announced in the wake of Tuesday’s bus accident near Hibberdene - the latest in a series involving Roadlink since 2006.
The meeting between the MEC and a delegation from SA Roadlink will take place tomorrow afternoon.
In the interim, the matter appears to be in the hands of lawyers from both the bus company and the provincial transport department.
There’s a showdown looming. As of late this afternoon, SA Roadlink spokesperson Herman Steyn was adamant that it was still ‘business as usual’ for them.
They’re supposed to stop any KZN or Durban leg of travel from Saturday, but the private bus company is not backing down at this stage, saying it’ll see what happens at tomorrow’s meeting.
Many passengers meanwhile just want their money back, telling Newswatch they’ve lost faith in the company.
18 December 2008: It’s ‘business as usual,’ says Roadlink
article from East Coast Radio Newswatch
The National Department of Transport has now asked the Road Traffic Management Corporation to investigate SA Roadlink.
The National Department of Transport has now asked the Road Traffic Management Corporation to investigate SA Roadlink.
23 people have died in accidents involving Roadlink vehicles over the past two years.
The department says it’s very concerned about this situation hence the investigation into this matter.
The KZN Transport MEC Bheki Cele announced yesterday that Roadlink will not be able to operate in KZN from Saturday until an investigation into Tuesday’s South Coast accident has wrapped up.
Eleven people died near Hibberdene when the bus slammed into a car. Despite the investigations, SA Roadlink says as of this morning it still has not been informed of Cele’s decision.
The company’s Herman Steyn says they are hoping to get clarity by the end of today. For now though he says it is business as usual.
“We are in possession of a valid road transport permit which has been obtained through the normal legal process, and we are of the opinion that we will continue using it in future during the peak period. We want to assure the public it’s business as usual.”
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
17 December 2008: Bus driver to appear in court
article from News24
The driver of the South African Roadlink bus which crashed on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast on Tuesday morning, claiming the lives of 11 people, is to face 11 counts of culpable homicide.
The driver of the South African Roadlink bus which crashed on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast on Tuesday morning, claiming the lives of 11 people, is to face 11 counts of culpable homicide.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Zandra Wiid said the bus driver was expected to appear in Turton Court near Hibberdene later on Wednesday.
She said those who died in the accident included: Jerimiah Buthelezi, his wife Thabelikile Buthelezi and their children Malusi Buthelezi, Njabilo Buthelezi, Thabiso Buthelezi, Siabongo Buthelezi.
The Buthelezi family had been in the Toyota Camry with which the bus collided when it apparently overtook another vehicle.
The occupants of the bus who died were: Komrad Brookes, Steven Brookes, 6, Nonkululo Talatala, Mr LA Ndebele and a woman, whose details have yet to be released.
Licence withdrawn
Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal Transport MEC Bheki Cele announced that the permit to operate had been withdrawn, pending the outcome of an investigation into the crash.
"We withdraw all concurrencies granted to SA Roadlink to operate in this province pending finalisation of investigation. They stop operating here come Friday midnight."
SA Roadlink risk manager Herman Steyn said the first that the operator had heard of its licence being suspended was through the media.
He said the company had not been informed by the KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department and that the company would comment once it had been in direct contact with the department.
Fibreglass
It emerged during a briefing by Hibiscus Coast Protection Services head Victor Chetty that a great portion of the body of the bus was made of fibreglass and did not have any reinforcing such as roll bars.
"We will have to raise our concerns with SABS and the (National) Department of Transport. Maybe, like the taxi industry, the time has come to recap buses," he said.
Cele said that while the provincial department could deal with the operational aspects of public transport, it would have to consult with the national transport department and South African Bureau of Standards to address the quality and sturdiness of the buses being imported.
He said all public transport vehicles - taxis, minibus taxis and buses - caught speeding, overloading and unroadworthy would be confiscated and impounded.
"We won't just issue a ticket, we will arrest the driver and impound the vehicles," he said.
Unroadworthy buses
At the press conference he announced that an SA Roadlink bus previously declared unroadworthy, was stopped on the N3 near Estcourt in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on Wednesday morning.
He said it had not been re-certified to operate on the province's roads.
SA Roadlink has a history of accidents in the province and several of its buses have been declared unroadworthy by provincial authorities in the past two years.
On Christmas Eve in 2006 an SA Roadlink bus crashed into the pillar of a bridge, resulting in the death of 12 people.
The Automobile Association's head of public affairs Rob Handfield-Jones said: "The AA has long been critical of the state of roadworthiness of long-distance passenger coaches, not to mention the driving standards of bus drivers and the need for driving hours and fatigue to be addressed."
He said the AA had raised the issue of bus safety at parliament's transport portfolio committee earlier in the year.
"The fatality risk for bus passengers rose by more than 30% between 2005 and 2006 alone, and we feel that strong steps by the government are needed to ensure that bus operators provide passengers with the safe, reliable transport service for which they pay.
"We applaud the swift action by the MEC in light of Tuesday's KZN crash involving an SA Roadlink bus. We hope that his colleagues in other provinces will take similar steps and that bus operators will take note of this development," he said.
- SAPA
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
17 December 2008: Condolences following Roadlink accident
article from East Coast Radio Newswatch
SA Roadlink has sent its condolences to those whose loved ones were involved in yesterday’s horror accident near Hibberdene on the South Coast.
SA Roadlink has sent its condolences to those whose loved ones were involved in yesterday’s horror accident near Hibberdene on the South Coast.
The KZN Transport Department has alleged the accident was caused by the bus driver.
The bus apparently knocked into a truck that it was trying to overtake before hitting a Toyota Camry head-on on the N2 south-bound.
All six occupants of the car were killed as were five people from the bus. A further 10 people from the bus were injured.
SA Roadlink spokesperson, Herman Steyn, says road safety measures were stepped up ahead of the holiday run.
He says they ensure that they have more than one driver on board for night trips, that they monitor how long the drivers work; where they rest, how they rest and the condition of the coaches.
“We’re fairly happy that our safety standards are completely above board. The information I got so far (is) that it’s not the safety issue that caused the accident.”
KZN Transport MEC Bheki Cele is briefing the media this morning about the accident.
Meanwhile, last Thursday night another SA Roadlink bus was involved in an accident on the N3 near Merrivale.
* View more photos of the vehicles here
17 December 2008: Bus operator's licence withdrawn
article from IOLNews
National bus operator SA Roadlink had its licence to operate in KwaZulu-Natal withdrawn on Wednesday, the province's transport MEC said.
MEC Bheki Cele announced in Durban that from midnight on 19 December, no SA Roadlink bus would be allowed to operate within the province.
He said the permit to operate had been withdrawn, pending the outcome of an investigation into Tuesday morning's crash between an SA Roadlink bus and two other vehicles that claimed the lives of 11 people.
"We withdraw all concurrencies granted to SA Roadlink to operate in this province pending finalisation of investigation."
SA Roadlink has a history of accidents in the province and several of its buses have been declared unroadworthy by provincial authorities in the past two years. - Sapa
National bus operator SA Roadlink had its licence to operate in KwaZulu-Natal withdrawn on Wednesday, the province's transport MEC said.
MEC Bheki Cele announced in Durban that from midnight on 19 December, no SA Roadlink bus would be allowed to operate within the province.
He said the permit to operate had been withdrawn, pending the outcome of an investigation into Tuesday morning's crash between an SA Roadlink bus and two other vehicles that claimed the lives of 11 people.
"We withdraw all concurrencies granted to SA Roadlink to operate in this province pending finalisation of investigation."
SA Roadlink has a history of accidents in the province and several of its buses have been declared unroadworthy by provincial authorities in the past two years. - Sapa
17 December 2008: The nightmare crash
article from IOLNews
By Gugu Mbonambi
A trip home for the Christmas holidays turned into a nightmare for a Durban man who woke from a deep sleep to find the luxury coach he was travelling in rolling down an embankment early on Tuesday.
Abdul Osman, of Berea, was not injured in the horrific accident that claimed 11 lives after the SA Roadlink bus crashed into a car on the N2 near Hibberdene.
"Before I fell asleep, the bus was speeding on the road. I suspect the driver was speeding to make up for lost time after we were stopped for over two hours at Mthatha because of a roadblock," said Osman.
Among those that survived the accident was a 2-year-old boy, who is in a stable condition in hospital. Another passenger was taken to Pietermaritzburg's Grey's Hospital in a helicopter in a critical condition.
The bus was travelling from the southern Cape and had stopped in the Eastern Cape to drop off passengers before continuing to Durban.
"According to witnesses who live close to the freeway, the bus, which was travelling in a northerly direction, tried to overtake a truck and suddenly veered off the road on to the southbound lane, where it collided head-on with a car," said South Coast police spokesperson Zandra Wiid.
She said the car was flung on to the Hibberdene on-ramp 20m below while the bus came to rest on its side on a bank.
"Five people in the car died instantly and one survivor was taken to hospital.
"Four passengers in the bus also died at the scene and two others died on their way to hospital," said Wiid.
The occupants of the car were four children and their parents.
ER24 spokesperson Derrick Banks said 18 injured passengers were treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.
SA Roadlink risk manager Herman Steyn said the company was trying to contact the families of the dead passengers.
Transport MEC Bheki Cele warned public transport operators to take responsibility on the roads or face losing their vehicles.
Tuesday's accident followed an incident last week when an SA Roadlink bus crashed into another bus on the N3 near Howick, injuring 40 people.
In June, 57 people were injured when an SA Roadlink bus crashed near Durban's Paradise Valley.
In another accident on Tuesday, 13 people were injured when their taxi crashed into a tree at the intersection of Dorothy Nyembe (Gardiner) Street and Margaret Mncadi Avenue (Victoria Embankment).
By Gugu Mbonambi
A trip home for the Christmas holidays turned into a nightmare for a Durban man who woke from a deep sleep to find the luxury coach he was travelling in rolling down an embankment early on Tuesday.
Abdul Osman, of Berea, was not injured in the horrific accident that claimed 11 lives after the SA Roadlink bus crashed into a car on the N2 near Hibberdene.
"Before I fell asleep, the bus was speeding on the road. I suspect the driver was speeding to make up for lost time after we were stopped for over two hours at Mthatha because of a roadblock," said Osman.
Among those that survived the accident was a 2-year-old boy, who is in a stable condition in hospital. Another passenger was taken to Pietermaritzburg's Grey's Hospital in a helicopter in a critical condition.
The bus was travelling from the southern Cape and had stopped in the Eastern Cape to drop off passengers before continuing to Durban.
"According to witnesses who live close to the freeway, the bus, which was travelling in a northerly direction, tried to overtake a truck and suddenly veered off the road on to the southbound lane, where it collided head-on with a car," said South Coast police spokesperson Zandra Wiid.
She said the car was flung on to the Hibberdene on-ramp 20m below while the bus came to rest on its side on a bank.
"Five people in the car died instantly and one survivor was taken to hospital.
"Four passengers in the bus also died at the scene and two others died on their way to hospital," said Wiid.
The occupants of the car were four children and their parents.
ER24 spokesperson Derrick Banks said 18 injured passengers were treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.
SA Roadlink risk manager Herman Steyn said the company was trying to contact the families of the dead passengers.
Transport MEC Bheki Cele warned public transport operators to take responsibility on the roads or face losing their vehicles.
Tuesday's accident followed an incident last week when an SA Roadlink bus crashed into another bus on the N3 near Howick, injuring 40 people.
In June, 57 people were injured when an SA Roadlink bus crashed near Durban's Paradise Valley.
In another accident on Tuesday, 13 people were injured when their taxi crashed into a tree at the intersection of Dorothy Nyembe (Gardiner) Street and Margaret Mncadi Avenue (Victoria Embankment).
16 December 2008: 9 dead, 18 hurt as bus hits car
article from News24
Nine people died and 18 others were injured after the bus they were travelling in went down a bank near Hibberdene, said ER24 on Tuesday.
Spokesperson Derrick Banks said the accident happened in the early hours of Tuesday on the N2 south-bound near Hibberdene, 20km after Port Shepstone.
He said the driver of an SA Road Link bus had apparently collided with the car, causing both cars to go down a bank onto the onramp to Hibberdene.
Paramedics declared nine people dead on the scene.
Eighteen others were treated on the scene for various injuries and stabilised before being taken to various hospitals.
- SAPA
Nine people died and 18 others were injured after the bus they were travelling in went down a bank near Hibberdene, said ER24 on Tuesday.
Spokesperson Derrick Banks said the accident happened in the early hours of Tuesday on the N2 south-bound near Hibberdene, 20km after Port Shepstone.
He said the driver of an SA Road Link bus had apparently collided with the car, causing both cars to go down a bank onto the onramp to Hibberdene.
Paramedics declared nine people dead on the scene.
Eighteen others were treated on the scene for various injuries and stabilised before being taken to various hospitals.
- SAPA
12 December 2008: Dozens hurt in N3 bus accident
article from East Coast Radio Newswatch
More than 70 people have been hurt in an accident that involved two buses and a car on the N3 near Pietermaritzburg.
An SA Roadlink bus collided with a private bus and the car in the Merrivale area on the Durban-bound carriageway at around 7 ‘o clock last night.
“When we arrived there it was a daunting task for paramedics to treat and try and stabilise about 75 patients,” said Netcare 911’s Chris Botha.
He say they had to use the jaws of life to cut the SA Roadlink driver out of the wreckage.
In the end, one critical patient, 14 patients with serious injuries and 60 patients with minor injuries were taken to various hospitals in the ‘Maritzburg area.
In June, a SA Roadlink bus crashed near the Mariannhill Toll Plaza injuring more than 50 people.
More than 70 people have been hurt in an accident that involved two buses and a car on the N3 near Pietermaritzburg.
An SA Roadlink bus collided with a private bus and the car in the Merrivale area on the Durban-bound carriageway at around 7 ‘o clock last night.
“When we arrived there it was a daunting task for paramedics to treat and try and stabilise about 75 patients,” said Netcare 911’s Chris Botha.
He say they had to use the jaws of life to cut the SA Roadlink driver out of the wreckage.
In the end, one critical patient, 14 patients with serious injuries and 60 patients with minor injuries were taken to various hospitals in the ‘Maritzburg area.
In June, a SA Roadlink bus crashed near the Mariannhill Toll Plaza injuring more than 50 people.
11 December 2008: Bus crash horror in KZN
article from News24
At least 40 people were injured on Thursday when an SA Roadlink bus crashed on the N3 freeway in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, paramedics said.
At least 40 people were injured on Thursday when an SA Roadlink bus crashed on the N3 freeway in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, paramedics said.
Paramedics said the bus collided with another private bus, while police said the bus in question had hit three vehicles.
Police spokesperson Inspector Joey Jeevan said the SA Roadlink bus collided with three vehicles in Lions River in the midlands.
"We don't know the extent of the accident or if there were any injuries or fatalities. Our police officers are on their way to the scene," she said. ER24 spokesperson Derrick Banks said both buses were fully laden and that the Roadlink bus was a double-decker.
"Over 40 people have been injured, but at this time we don't have an exact figure. The driver of the SA Roadlink bus was trapped and he is being extricated."
Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said paramedics were presently heading to the scene.
"All we know right now is that there are a lot of patients with injuries... we don't know how many."
No fatalities have been reported thus far.
Nonkululeko Mbatha, spokesperson for the provincial transport department, was not immediately available for comment.
Health department spokesprson Chris Maxon was also not available for comment.
- SAPA
3 July 2008: Roadlink driver not reckless: court told
article from East Coast Radio Newswatch
The trial of the driver of the SA Roadlink bus that crashed on Christmas Eve two years ago in the ‘Maritzburg area - has been adjourned until October…
The Pietermaritzburg Regional Court heard testimony yesterday that the driver wasn’t speeding or driving recklessly just before the accident that claimed 12 lives on an off-ramp from the N3 near the Liberty Midlands Mall.
Peter Sim, whose company installs recording equipment in Roadlink buses, was on the stand in the case of Charles Vaudim who’s on trial for culpable homicide.
The bus was travelling at 107-kays per hour when tragedy struck.
People killed in the crash were Antoinette, 22, and Krystle Storck 14; Samkele Lutshaba, 20; Anna, 32, and Nomhlekaba, 8, Ndaba; Samkele Mathonsi, 4; Lungile Hlomoka, 22; Sifiso Nzuza, 24; Bongi Cele, 47; Dafney Twala, 34; Isobel Swartz, 60; and Thokozani Dimba, 34.
Pleading not guilty, Vaudim said the bus went out of control when a rear wheel burst and the bus hit a bridge, killing and injuring passengers.
The trial of the driver of the SA Roadlink bus that crashed on Christmas Eve two years ago in the ‘Maritzburg area - has been adjourned until October…
The Pietermaritzburg Regional Court heard testimony yesterday that the driver wasn’t speeding or driving recklessly just before the accident that claimed 12 lives on an off-ramp from the N3 near the Liberty Midlands Mall.
Peter Sim, whose company installs recording equipment in Roadlink buses, was on the stand in the case of Charles Vaudim who’s on trial for culpable homicide.
The bus was travelling at 107-kays per hour when tragedy struck.
People killed in the crash were Antoinette, 22, and Krystle Storck 14; Samkele Lutshaba, 20; Anna, 32, and Nomhlekaba, 8, Ndaba; Samkele Mathonsi, 4; Lungile Hlomoka, 22; Sifiso Nzuza, 24; Bongi Cele, 47; Dafney Twala, 34; Isobel Swartz, 60; and Thokozani Dimba, 34.
Pleading not guilty, Vaudim said the bus went out of control when a rear wheel burst and the bus hit a bridge, killing and injuring passengers.
29 June 2008: Horror smash outside Jhb
article from News24
Five people have been killed and up to 60 injured in two accidents on the R59 between Johannesburg and Vereeniging on Saturday, paramedics said.
Five people have been killed and up to 60 injured in two accidents on the R59 between Johannesburg and Vereeniging on Saturday, paramedics said.
In the first accident a bakkie and a car collided head-on near the Kliprivier offramp around 20:20, killing five people, said Netcare 911 spokesperson Nick Dollman.
"This accident caused a bigger crash. An SA Roadlink bus left the road and overturned and landed on the side of the highway."
Of the injured, five were in a critical condition. The bodies of the five were still trapped in the wreckage of the car and bakkie.
"People are still trapped in the bus and firefighters are using hydraulic equipment to try and get them out."
Most of the injured had already been taken to hospitals.
Dollman said the Vereeniging-bound part of the highway had been closed to traffic and it was unclear when it would be reopened.
- SAPA
3 June 2008: Did bus driver fall asleep?
article from East Coast Radio Newswatch
Did the driver of the SA Roadlink bus fall asleep at the wheel causing it to crash along the N3 early this morning? That’s what the Transport Department is investigating…
It’s believed the driver lost control of the long-distance bus at Paradise Valley, just after the Mariannhill Plaza, at around 3.30am.
49 people were hurt - 13 of them children. John Schnell who’s with the Road Traffic Inspectorate says they’re very concerned.
“The accident scene typically reflects that the driver might have fallen asleep; taken his foot off the accelerator pedal and then crossed over the centre median onto the northbound carriageway. That’s one of the options that we will look at…”
The bus has been sent to Westmead to check its roadworthiness.
There were 70 people on board the bus which had left Johannesburg the night before and was due to arrive at Durban’s main railway station less than 30 minutes after the accident.
SA Roadlink meanwhile says it sincerely regrets this morning’s accident, but adds that it’s still too early to speculate on what caused it.
In response to the allegations by Schnell, SA Roadlink’s Herman Steyn says they believe he swerved to avoid an animal, adding it’s unfair to make damaging allegations until they know for sure.
Steyn says most of those taken to hospital have since been discharged. He says they are liaising with family members of victims to take care of all hospital bills and assist where possible.
On November 26 last year, three people — including a six-year-old child — died when an SA Roadlink bus and a bakkie collided on the N2 near Plettenberg Bay.
In December 2006 another 12 people were killed when an SA Roadlink bus ploughed into a bridge on the N3 motorway in Pietermaritzburg.
Did the driver of the SA Roadlink bus fall asleep at the wheel causing it to crash along the N3 early this morning? That’s what the Transport Department is investigating…
It’s believed the driver lost control of the long-distance bus at Paradise Valley, just after the Mariannhill Plaza, at around 3.30am.
49 people were hurt - 13 of them children. John Schnell who’s with the Road Traffic Inspectorate says they’re very concerned.
“The accident scene typically reflects that the driver might have fallen asleep; taken his foot off the accelerator pedal and then crossed over the centre median onto the northbound carriageway. That’s one of the options that we will look at…”
The bus has been sent to Westmead to check its roadworthiness.
There were 70 people on board the bus which had left Johannesburg the night before and was due to arrive at Durban’s main railway station less than 30 minutes after the accident.
SA Roadlink meanwhile says it sincerely regrets this morning’s accident, but adds that it’s still too early to speculate on what caused it.
In response to the allegations by Schnell, SA Roadlink’s Herman Steyn says they believe he swerved to avoid an animal, adding it’s unfair to make damaging allegations until they know for sure.
Steyn says most of those taken to hospital have since been discharged. He says they are liaising with family members of victims to take care of all hospital bills and assist where possible.
On November 26 last year, three people — including a six-year-old child — died when an SA Roadlink bus and a bakkie collided on the N2 near Plettenberg Bay.
In December 2006 another 12 people were killed when an SA Roadlink bus ploughed into a bridge on the N3 motorway in Pietermaritzburg.
3 June 2008: 49 hurt in SA Roadlink bus crash
article from East Coast Radio Newswatch
Durban police say they are working speedily to get to the bottom of an early morning bus accident just outside the city…
An SA Roadlink bus crashed on the N3 before the Richmond Road off-ramp at around 3h30. 74 passengers were aboard when the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle.
49 people have been hurt. Among the injured is a woman who was trapped under the wreck for more than an hour.
Police say the long-distance bus had been heading into Durban from Jo’burg when the driver apparently lost control of it.
The vehicle then smashed through a railing before coming to land on its side.
Durban police say they are working speedily to get to the bottom of an early morning bus accident just outside the city…
An SA Roadlink bus crashed on the N3 before the Richmond Road off-ramp at around 3h30. 74 passengers were aboard when the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle.
49 people have been hurt. Among the injured is a woman who was trapped under the wreck for more than an hour.
Police say the long-distance bus had been heading into Durban from Jo’burg when the driver apparently lost control of it.
The vehicle then smashed through a railing before coming to land on its side.
3 June 2008: 'Everyone was screaming'
article from News24
The driver of an SA Roadlink bus - which crashed near Durban's Paradise Valley early on Tuesday morning injuring at least 57 people - may have fallen asleep at the wheel, the KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department said.
The driver of an SA Roadlink bus - which crashed near Durban's Paradise Valley early on Tuesday morning injuring at least 57 people - may have fallen asleep at the wheel, the KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department said.
Spokesperson Zinhle Mngomezulu said of the 57 injured, 13 were children.
She said only one person was critically injured.
"We suspect the bus driver may have fallen asleep".
She said the driver had lost control of the bus on the N3 west bound freeway, hit into a crash barrier, and "flew across" onto the oncoming carriageway.
Police spokesperson Inspector Solomon Mbhele said the bus had been carrying 74 people at the time.
"The bus driver was not injured," he said.
Nqobile Sibiya, a 26-year old passenger, who escaped injury, said he had been asleep at the time of accident.
"I didn't see what happened. I was asleep and when I woke up the bus was like this and everybody was screaming," he said.
The bus had left Johannesburg the night before and was due to arrive at Durban's main railway station less than 30 minutes after the accident.
On November 26 last year, three people - including a six-year-old child - died when an SA Roadlink bus and a bakkie collided on the N2 near Plettenberg Bay.
In December 2006 another 12 people were killed when an SA Roadlink bus ploughed into a bridge on the N3 motorway in Pietermaritzburg.
- SAPA
3 June 2008: 42 injured in Dbn bus crash
article from News24
More than 40 people were injured in Durban in the early hours of Tuesday morning when a bus careened across a central median and rolled onto its side on the city's western highway (N3).
More than 40 people were injured in Durban in the early hours of Tuesday morning when a bus careened across a central median and rolled onto its side on the city's western highway (N3).
Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said one person was critically injured, while another 12 sustained serious injuries and 29 suffered minor injuries.
It is not immediately clear what caused the SA Roadlink bus to veer out of its lane into the central median and then slide on its side into the oncoming traffic lanes near the city's Paradise Valley area.
KwaZulu-Natal transport spokesperson Zinhle Mngomezulu could not be reached for comment.
The Durban Fire Brigade had to use the Jaws of Life to free the critically injured passenger.
Nqobile Sibiya, a 26-year old passenger, who escaped injury, said he had been asleep at the time of the accident.
"I didn't see what happened. I was asleep and when I woke up the bus was like this and everybody was screaming," he said.
The bus had left Johannesburg the night before and was due to arrive at Durban's main railway station less than 30 minutes after the accident. It was not known how many people were on the bus.
It was not clear what happened to the driver, but a traffic official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the driver had claimed he had "swerved for something".
Three people - including a six-year-old child - died when an SA Roadlink bus and a bakkie collided on the N2 near Plettenberg Bay in the early hours of November 26 last year.
On December 24 in 2006 another 12 people were killed when an SA Roadlink bus ploughed into a bridge on the N3 motorway in Pietermaritzburg.
- SAPA
26 November 2007: 3 die in W Cape bus crash
article from New24
Three people - including a six-year-old child - died when a bus and a bakkie collided on the N2 near Plettenberg Bay in the early hours of Monday, said Western Cape police.
Three people - including a six-year-old child - died when a bus and a bakkie collided on the N2 near Plettenberg Bay in the early hours of Monday, said Western Cape police.
Captain Malcolm Pojie said the bus's trailer hit the bakkie while it was doing an illegal U-turn at the Shishuba Street junction at 01:50.
The bus driver lost control of the vehicle and it hit steel barriers and a signboard at the side of the road, he said. There were 60 people on board the SA Roadlink bus at the time.
Pojie said the co-driver of the bus and a six-year-old passenger died in the crash, as did the driver of the bakkie. Their names were being withheld until their next-of-kin were notified.
He said another 18 bus passengers were injured. Eleven of them sustained minor injuries and were treated on the scene by paramedics. The other seven were seriously hurt and were admitted to hospitals in Knysna.
- SAPA
27 December 2006: KZN bus crash: No one charged
article from News24
No charges have been brought against anyone in connection with the bus accident on Sunday in KwaZulu-Natal in which 12 people died, said a Pietermaritzburg prosecutor on Wednesday.
No charges have been brought against anyone in connection with the bus accident on Sunday in KwaZulu-Natal in which 12 people died, said a Pietermaritzburg prosecutor on Wednesday.
Senior prosecutor Morris Alexander of the Pietermaritzburg magistrate's court said neither the driver nor anyone else had appeared in court in connection with charges arising out of the incident and the case was not on the court roll.
The driver did not appear on drunk driving charges either.
"He did not appear at all in court," said Alexander.
He said the crash was still being investigated, with statements to be taken from mechanical engineers and bus passengers.
"Obviously it needs quite a lot of investigation."
Driver 'not at fault'
Alexander said once the investigation was completed, a decision would be made on whether anybody should face charges.
The SA Roadlink bus crashed at about 05:00 on Sunday on the southbound N3 while travelling from Harrismith in the Free State to Durban in KZN. Twelve people, including three children, died and 30 were injured when it overturned and hit a bridge.
Earlier on Wednesday, Roadlink denied that the driver had been at fault and said a tyre had burst. Roadlink said the driver had been cleared of drunk driving by the police.
Superintendent Joshua Gwala of the Midlands police confirmed that the driver had been tested for alcohol at the scene but would not comment on the results, saying that was part of the investigation.
Roadlink confirmed that the driver had previously been convicted of drunk driving while driving a Roadlink bus.
That incident, in which the driver was found to have been seven times over the legal limit for a driver with a public driver's permit (PDP), took place in KZN almost exactly a year before Sunday's accident, on December 23 2005. The driver was suspended for a year and later reinstated after he was checked out by the company.
Steyn confirmed that two other Roadlink buses were taken off the road on Sunday in KZN by traffic authorities for being unroadworthy. He said they were fixed, taken to testing stations on Wednesday and were back on the road.
"We don't operate unroadworthy vehicles, we will never do that."
- SAPA
27 December 2006: 'I am just grateful to be alive'
article from News24
Bheki Mbanjwa
Bheki Mbanjwa
Pietermaritzburg - Survivors of Sunday's bus crash that claimed the lives of 12 people say the bus driver was speeding.
Speaking to The Witness in Grey's Hospital where he is being treated, one of the passengers, Isaac Baipone, 44, of Johannesburg, said on Tuesday that the driver was speeding excessively.
"I cannot estimate the speed he was travelling at, but you could tell by the way he was overtaking smaller vehicles on the road that he was speeding. It was not a comfortable ride."
Baipone, who was on his to visit his wife at Inchanga, is one of the 40-odd passengers who are lucky to be alive after the driver of a SA Roadlink bus, travelling from Johannesburg to Durban, lost control and crashed into the pillars of the bridge on the N3 near the Liberty Midlands Mall at about 04:20 on Sunday.
"I had just phoned my wife and I could feel the driver applying the brakes. He must have applied them hard as we were left with this uneasy feeling. The bus could not stop, it was travelling too fast. Suddenly people were screaming and there was this huge bang."
Bus losing control
Baipone, who suffered fractures to both his legs, said he was left hanging upside down, with his left foot entangled in some wires.
"There was lots and lots of blood. I shouted to one lady who was consciousto untie my leg. I was able to get out, after she cut the wire. I am just grateful to be alive."
The allegation that the driver was speeding was supported by Wellington Manana, also of Johannesburg, who - together with his wife - was on his way to a wedding in Pietermaritzburg.
"I can't remember much but the driver was definitely speeding before the accident happened. I felt the bus losing control, swaying on the road and suddenly this big bang is all I heard. I was left trapped inside the bus but my wife managed to get out through the bus window," said Manana, who is also being treated at Grey's Hospital.
The 34-year-old driver, who was in police custody on Tuesday, is not new to controversy, according to Transport MEC, Bheki Cele, who said the man was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol last year, when he was caught driving while seven times over the legal alcohol limit.
Cele said he was "very disappointed with the bus company for allowing a person who was charged with drinking and driving before to be behind the steering wheel". He added that a follow-up investigation has been instituted on this matter.
Names of deceased not released
Asked for comment on the matter, Lee Sarugaser, spokesperson for SA Roadlink, could neither deny nor confirm the previous conviction of the driver.
"That (the alleged drunk driving conviction) is not related to the accident. After this accident he was tested for alcohol and was found to be below the legal limit," Sarugaser said.
All the injured were treated at Grey's, Northdale and St Anne's hospitals where they were said to be in a stable condition.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Joshua Gwala said the cause of the accident had not been established by Tuesday.
He said the names of the deceased had not been released as they are still to be identified by their next-of-kin on Wednesday. The deceased included three children aged between seven and 15. The nine adults killed were aged between 20 and 45 years.
Gwala said the bus driver, who has been charged with 12 counts of culpable homicide, was expected to appear in court on Wednesday.
- The Witness
24 December 2006: Crash driver had record
article from News24
The driver of a bus in which 12 people died - among them three children - and 34 were injured in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday was caught seven times over the legal alcohol limit last year, it has emerged.
The driver of a bus in which 12 people died - among them three children - and 34 were injured in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday was caught seven times over the legal alcohol limit last year, it has emerged.
Transport, community safety and liaison MEC Bheki Cele said he was "very disappointed" that the bus company, SA Roadlink, had allowed him behind a steering wheel again.
The 34-year-old driver had been charged with culpable homicide and reckless driving, he said in a statement, making no comment about allegations that he was speeding at the time of the crash.
Cele said three unroadworthy SA Roadlink buses had been suspended in the three hours he was on the accident scene.
These included the wreck itself; and a bus stopped in Pietermaritzburg and another inspected at Midway while en route to collect uninjured passengers at the accident scene.
"We will be sending out the road traffic Inspectorate to this bus company depot to inspect all their buses," he said.
Cele visited some of the injured in hospital.
Many had to be extricated from the wreckage by rescue workers. They were taken to the Northdale, Greys and St Anne's Hospitals.
Screaming hysterically
"I saw two dead bodies - an elderly man and a boy flying out of the bus," said passenger Nomthandazo Thusi, who had been on her way home to Durban with her daughters Nonjabulo, 8, and Siyanda, 3, after job-hunting in Johannesburg.
"Everyone was screaming hysterically as dead bodies hit the ground and fell on the pavement and ground."
She had been watching an onboard movie at the time of the crash.
Earlier, she told another passenger she thought the driver was in the wrong lane because she could hear the vehicle's tyres hitting the cats eyes.
Superintendent Joshua Gwala said the driver of the double-decker bus lost control of the vehicle and it overturned, slamming into pillars under a bridge on the N3 south at 05:00.
Roof crushed
"The bus was badly smashed. The whole roof was crushed when it hit the pillars," he said.
The upper-deck on the right-hand-side took most of the impact, said Netcare 911 spokesperson Mark Stokoe.
Both south and north-bound carriageways were initially closed to traffic, but had since been reopened.
SA Roadlink sales and marketing manager Lee Sarugaser said: "I personally assisted in boarding the passengers of that bus last night. You know how I feel."
Speaking before Cele made his statement, Sarugaser said initial indications were that an airbag on the vehicle's suspension had burst, causing it to swerve uncontrollably to the right and hit a barrier.
Extra vehicle
He said the bus had been an extra vehicle on the 3100 route to Durban. Instead of leaving from Pretoria, it had left from Johannesburg with 66 passengers on board.
"With people going home for Christmas they take more luggage, so the loading takes longer," he explained.
Sarugaser said the bus driver took over the wheel after a stop at Balmoral, in the Free State, and was not likely to have been fatigued.
The bus had made one more stop, at Harrismith, for passengers to get refreshments.
- SAPA
Monday, December 15, 2008
24 December 2006: KZN bus crash kills 12
A bus crash claimed 12 lives and left 40 injured on the N3 near Pietermaritzburg on Sunday, said KwaZulu-Natal police.
Superintendent Joshua Gwala said the bus driver lost control of the vehicle and it overturned, slamming into pillars under a bridge on the N3 south at 05:00.
"The bus was badly smashed. The whole roof was crushed when it hit the pillars," he said.
The dead included three children, said Gwala. Their trapped bodies had to be removed by rescue workers.
He said the injured were taken to the Northdale, Greys and St Anne's Hospitals.
The cause of the accident is unknown and police were questioning the 34-year-old driver of the SA Roadlink bus, he said.
A culpable homicide docket had been opened.
Both south and north-bound carriageways were initially closed to traffic. By mid-morning one of the north-bound lanes had re-opened. South-bound lanes were still closed and traffic was being diverted.
Traffic authorities turned away two unroadworthy buses which arrived to take away the uninjured passengers, a transport department official at the scene said on condition of anonymity.
- SAPA
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