Unroadworthy bakkie transporting kids impounded in EC

Warning:

This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers.

Read the article

 The Eastern Cape Transport Department says a bakkie transporting learners to school has been impounded in Seymour after being found to be unroadworthy.

The Transport Ministry says officials have been visiting schools to check on the condition of vehicles involved in the province's scholar transport programme after MEC, Thandiswa Marawu, recently approved a Monitoring Plan.

Department spokesperson, Ncedo Kumbaca, says all traffic law enforcement heads at provincial and municipal level, have been provided with the list of scholar transport vehicles in order to improve their monitoring.

He says they expect that all scholar transport vehicles whether contracted by One Future Development 46 or contracted privately by families to be subjected to a compulsory test at our Vehicle Testing Stations to be checked for roadworthiness.

Kumbaca also clarified the situation with respect to the use of bakkies to ferry children to school.

"The latest legislation only allows certain modified bakkies but currently people are still using the old bakkies which are not meant to transport any human being for gain or business purpouses. So people are still encouraged to use minibus taxi's or buses" Kumbca said.