SA Roadlink bus crash: 8 dead

2009-07-07 10:56

Johannesburg - At least eight people died in a bus accident near Beaufort West on Tuesday morning, Western Cape traffic authorities said.

Traffic spokesperson Xenophone Wentzel said about 20 other people were injured when the bus lost control at about 08:00.

It had been en-route from Johannesburg to Cape Town at the time.

Wentzel said there was a slight possibility the driver had fallen asleep.

Police spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk confirmed the bus involved belonged to SA Roadlink.

He said it was not known how many people were on board or exactly how many were taken to hospital.

On Christmas Eve in 2006, an SA Roadlink bus crashed into the pillar of a bridge in KwaZulu-Natal, resulting in the deaths of 12 people.

'Coffins on wheels'

In another accident involving the same national operator in the same province in 2008, 11 people were killed.

The bus company came under the spotlight several times and KwaZulu-Natal's transport MEC Bheki Cele suspended its licence in the province in January this year.

This led to a war of words between the MEC and the company, which in turn led to court action.

Cele labelled SA Roadlink buses "coffins on wheels" and said it was in the public interest that the buses be pulled off the road.
Later several buses from the Roadlink fleet were found to have defects and impounded.

In February, the bus company offered to send its entire fleet of vehicles to government testing centres.

Spokesperson Herman Steyn at the time said it would "be given the stamp of approval and hoped the exercise may put an end to serious allegations against its safety standards".

The court case between Cele and the operator was later withdrawn when the company countered that it was being unfairly singled out.

- SAPA