‘Freight operators must look inwards’
KWAZULU-NATAL MEC for Transport Mxolisi Kaunda has slammed freight industry companies that do not abide by traffic laws, and has said that they need to take personal responsibility for their role in road tragedies.
He made the comments in a statement issued yesterday after six people died in a horror crash between a truck and a taxi on the N3 near the Pavilion mall in Westville on Friday.
The Department of Transport said preliminary reports showed that the truck driver had failed to stop, thus colliding with a full minibus taxi travelling from Durban to Clermont. Five people died at the scene and one died later in hospital.
The truck driver, who is a Zimbabwean, fled the scene and is still at large.
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The department said the police and the Road Traffic Inspectorate were still investigating the cause of the accident.
Kaunda said there was a growing trend witnessed in the transport industry of companies that employed foreign drivers who had no permanent work documents, no qualifications or experience.
He also made reference to the 2013 crash on Field’s Hill, near Pinetown, where a truck ploughed into several vehicles, killing 24 people.
Truck driver and Swazi national Sanele May, who had no work permit, a fake public driver’s permit and was in the country illegally, was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in the crash.
The truck owner, Gregory Govender, will appear in court again this week.
He faces three charges relating to contravening the National Traffic Act and a separate charge for employing an illegal immigrant.
The department said Kaunda would meet freight industry operators this week to see how they could help improve road safety.
“We wish to assure all the families that (the) government is with them and will provide all the necessary assistance.
“Traffic police have also been directed to sustain enforcement operations to proactively address failure to adhere to the traffic laws on the road,” he was quoted as saying. – Mercury Reporter