The driver of a minibus taxi, pulled over by Bela-Bela metro officers on Monday afternoon, has been charged with overloading when 58 schoolchildren were found crammed into his vehicle.
A video circulating on social media shows a metro officer counting the never-ending stream of children piling out of the vehicle that is only meant to seat 14.
"It's very dangerous," said Joel Seabi, the spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety. "Overloading can lead to poor control that can cause accidents, killing children and cutting off their future."
In a statement, Seabi called on parents and schools to work together with the department to ensure an incident like this does not happen again.
"We don't see it a lot, but we do see it, especially with children. There are various reasons, but I suspect operators take a chance to maximise their profits," he said.
According to Seabi, the driver had the right to challenge the charges against him.
"It can seat more than 14 but only if everyone can be seated comfortably. This is the loophole they might use," he told News24.
"But we have a stronger case. There's just no way 58 learners can sit comfortably in a 14-seater."
According to the statement, the vehicle was not registered with the department for any category of official public transportation in the province.
