The crash involved a passenger bus and a light motor vehicle, resulting in the bus driver losing control and the bus overturning.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered his condolences to the 16 people who lost their lives in a bus crash on the R21 freeway in Ekurhuleni.
Ramaphosa also wished the 45 others who were injured in the accident a speedy recovery.
The crash involved a passenger bus and a light motor vehicle, resulting in the bus driver losing control and the bus overturning on Tuesday morning near the OR Tambo International Airport.
Saddened
Ramaphosa said he is “deeply saddened” by the bus crash
“While the causes of these recent incidents are still under investigation, we are reminded that tragedies such as these leave more than physical scars, as they cause trauma that affects family relationships and the lives of survivors.
“Incidents such as these impact on people’s ability to earn a living; they impact in our health and emergency services; they drive up insurance and result in expensive vehicle repairs, and they affect business who lose personnel in this process,” Ramaphosa said.
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Road safety
Ramaphosa stressed that motorists must reflect on their responsibility and conduct when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle, “big and small.”
“When we ask how safe our roads are, we actually need to ask how safe we are as drivers and pedestrians. The biggest factor in crashes is human error, not law enforcement or road conditions.
“Drivers must ensure vehicles are roadworthy and must obey the rules of the road. They are there to keep us safe. Where drivers ignore these rules, they stand a chance of losing their lives or being critically injured. And where they survive, they will end up in our courts and correctional centres,” Ramaphosa said.
Investigations
Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy and her deputy, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, expressed concern over the spate of recent crashes involving passenger buses.
Creecy’s spokesperson, Collen Msibi, said the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has dispatched a crash investigation unit and law enforcement officials to determine the cause of the accident.
Meanwhile, the families of the victims have been flocking to local hospitals in hopes of identifying their loved ones.
Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza said they have activated a disaster management centre which families can go to enquire about their family members.
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