Watch: Taxi slams into wall, children thrown out in Johannesburg  – LNN

Schoolchildren were ejected from a minibus when it crashed into a wall in Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday, adding to a recent string of incidents involving unsafe scholar transport.

Taxi Crash in Kensington

Video footage circulating on social media shows a taxi swerving before colliding with a wall in Kensington. The impact caused the vehicle’s sliding door to come off, throwing schoolchildren onto the road, narrowly avoiding the moving wheels, according to Andre Snyman of eBlokwatch, who shared the video on Facebook.

Police Response

Authorities were notified of the incident, but responses have been inconsistent. The South African Police Service (SAPS) referred inquiries to the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD). However, JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla stated the department had no record of the incident, suggesting either officers did not attend or failed to report it.

Recent Scholar Transport Incidents

This crash follows a series of concerning incidents involving school transportation. On Monday, 14 children died in a collision on the R553 outside Vanderbijlpark involving a taxi and a lorry. The taxi driver appeared in court and abandoned his bail application, facing 14 counts of murder.

Also on Monday, a vehicle carrying nine schoolchildren crashed into a tree in KZN, resulting in moderate to minor injuries for the children. On Tuesday, authorities stopped a minibus in Vanderbijlpark transporting 32 schoolchildren in a 15-seater taxi. A day later, in Polokwane, a driver abandoned an overloaded minibus carrying 22 students, licensed for only seven, when traffic officers approached.

Yesterday morning, a collision on the R510 between Thabazimbi and Northam involving a bakkie and a bus carrying 109 schoolchildren resulted in one fatality and injuries to all the children. Preliminary investigations indicate the bakkie was overtaking when it collided head-on with the bus. The Limpopo Department of Transport stated the bus driver was not at fault.

Government Warnings

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has warned against reckless behavior and pledged continued collaboration with law enforcement to hold responsible parties accountable.