Transport Minister Ben Martins has instructed transport authorities to get to the bottom of the cause of a bus crash that claimed at least 19 lives in the south of Johannesburg this morning.
Preliminary reports received by the Department of Transport indicate that at least 19 people were killed and many others injured in a crash involving a Putco bus travelling between Sebokeng and Meyerton, south of Johannesburg this morning, Monday 25 June 2012.
Minister Martins visited the scene of the accident and survivors in Kopanong and Sebokeng hospitals this afternoon.
"There are no words to describe the shock with which we received the sad and unfortunate reports of this tragic end to lives. We wish to convey our sincere condolences to the families of passengers who lost their lives, wishing survivors a speedy recovery" says Minister Martins.
The Minister has called on authorities to investigate all possible reasons that could have led to this crash.
"No effort should be spared in determining the cause of this horrific incident. Road Traffic management authorities must leave no stone unturned in their probe,” says Minister Martins.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), an agency of the Department of Transport, has dispatched a team of road crash and incident reconstruction specialists to the scene.
The Road Accident Fund (RAF) will also assist the bereaved families and the injured with assessments in relation to injury claims and funeral arrangements.
We call on the bus operating company to work with authorities in order to expedite the investigation into the cause of this crash.
"Motorists must exercise great caution at all times on the roads. They should remember that adherence to the rules of the road is non-negotiable.
It is only if we all obey the rules of the road without exception that we can meet our objectives of reducing the road fatality rate," concludes Minister Martins.
The department calls on every road user to join hands with government in the quest to realise the objective of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 campaign of reducing road deaths by 50%.
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