Lentegeur residents in Mitchells Plain are up in arms after a crash involving an overloaded taxi claimed the life of a child on Monday.
According to reports, a Toyota Quantum and a BMW collided at the corner of Marguerite Street and AZ Berman Drive at 8.10am.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said the Quantum, at the time of the incident, was transporting 24 passengers, all of whom were scholars from various schools.
“One of the children, a boy aged between 8 and 10, was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries and later succumbed due to injuries sustained. The other children were treated on the scene or taken to nearby hospitals with minor injuries,” he said.
Van Wyk said the cause of the crash was under investigation and no arrests have been made.
Lentegeur resident and chairperson of the Cape Flats Safety Forum, Abie Isaacs, said the community was angry that the incident happened.
“The community is up in arms, especially because this was a child. We need proper action to be taken against these people that are overloading.
“At the moment we have been in contact with the family and they are distraught. We are calling for the police to take proper action and deal with these people decisively,” he said.
The taxi is understood to belong to the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata).
Cata spokesperson Nkululeko Sityebi said: “We are saddened by the incident. We understand that the weather might have been bad, that can’t be avoided, but the fact that there was an overload is a human error which could have been avoided.
As Cata we always ask drivers to be responsible.
“We profusely apologise to all those affected and send our deepest condolences to the family of the young child.
We do urge all drivers to always keep in mind the safety of those they are transporting.”
South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) chairperson Mandla Hermanus also conveyed condolences.
“We are not clear on the circumstances around the incident, but we call on law enforcement to ensure regulation of scholar transport providers.
It cannot be that a taxi that should be carrying 15 passengers is found carrying almost double that number,” he said.
Anyone with any information may anonymously contact Crime Stop on 0860010111 or SMS Crime Line at 32211.
Cape Times