KNYSNA NEWS - The African Express bus company has for the fourth time in nearly six years been involved in a serious incident, after the death of 14 children in 2011, and this week hospitalising five learners.
The now notorious George-based transport company which was responsible for the deaths of 14 children on the Rheenendal Road outside Knysna in 2011, could have caused the death of five more learners this week.
In the most recent incident, on May 11, an African Express bus reportedly rolled backwards into a ditch on the Uniondale Road in Nekkies, causing five learners from Thembelitsha Primary to be hospitalised with injuries and for shock. The driver was allegedly in the shop when the bus crashed.
According to resident Dunyiswa Mgwele, who lives near the scene of the accident and was home at the time, she heard a loud bang.
"I saw learners coming out of the bus and they told me that the driver was in the shop when the bus rolled into a ditch," said Mgwele, adding that she was told by the schoolchildren that the brakes were faulty and the driver had to use a broomstick as support when he left the bus.
Knysna police spokesperson Sergeant Chris Spies confirmed that an accident report was opened following this incident and that the bus did not have a driver when the accident happened.
"Available information indicates that the driver of the vehicle parked the blue Mercedes bus with passengers inside. He discovered the bus had moved backwards on his return and had stopped in a ditch, " stated Spies, who said five learners sustained injuries and were hospitalised at Knysna Provincial Hospital.
When asked to comment about this incident the owner of the bus company, Praveen Singh, told the Knysna-Plett Herald on May 12 that the driver had been suspended. "According to the information presented to me, the bus driver got out of the bus and left the children unattended while the engine was still running and one of the learners unleashed the handbrake."
Singh admitted the driver's behaviour was negligent. "It is unlawful to leave the engine running but to do that with children is carelessness and I understand he also got a fine from the traffic department."
This is, however the fourth time this company has run into trouble in the last six years.
A wheelchair-bound Gert Human could have lost his life, but lost his new RDP home when a bus belonging to African Express rolled down a hill in Concordia near the Koop en Loop shop on Tuesday, February 14, 2012.
On this occasion SAPS said the "67-year-old bus driver had stopped and parked the bus on a downhill road while he needed to relieve himself".
By the time this driver saw the bus going down the hill backwards without him, he couldn't manage to get back into it to put the brakes on.
Human's house was totally destroyed and had to be rebuilt, but he survived unharmed.
On August 16, 2012, an African Express bus with schoolchildren on board on its way from Pacaltsdorp sport grounds to Heidedal Primary School in Borcherds, was stopped by officials of the George traffic department on Tuesday at 17:35 and summarily impounded when it was found that it was driven with copied licence discs.
The driver of the bus was arrested on the scene and, as reported in the George Herald, the bus was found to be operating without a valid transport licence.
At the time Faried Stemmet, legal advisor and spokesperson for African Express, said, "The traffic officials were not properly informed."
At the time of going to press on Wednesday, May 17, a further comment was received from Singh.
He said that it "is unfair to keep rehashing the Rheenendal incident and unfair to the company, the victims and families."
ARTICLE: NWABISA PONDOYI, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD JOURNALIST
'We bring you the latest Knysna, Garden Route news'
