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20090522

A minibus-taxi with 48 school kids…

 

48kids In One Minibus South Africa Deon ferreira Beeld May222009 May 22 2009 Astonished Port Elizabeth news photographer Deon Ferreira couldn't believe his eyes when he came across this charming scene. The police at Kabega Park had just pulled over a minibus-taxi to fine the driver for being heavily overloaded -- and 48 pupils clambered out with their rucksacks and schoolbooks…

The cops even agreed to let the kids climb back in again to prove to Ferreira that ‘yes, they had all fit inside, snug as little bugs in a rug…’

But whether these kids were safe in these share-taxis is another matter entirely.

The  multibillion Rand minibus-taxi industry carries some 60% of all South African passengers every day. There are some 130,000 minibus taxis on South African roads -- and the impact of this unique transport system, which takes passengers from their front doors right to their destinations without having to wait at any designated bus stops, is poorly regulated.

For some of the intricacies of hailing minibus-taxis in South Africa, the video explains quite a lot about the wild driving patterns these minibus taxis exhibit while rushing with their passengers, jammed in like sardines in a tin, from place to place, as fast as they can.

How to hail a taxi in South Africa
As a result of their wild driving patterns, the country's roads also are among the most dangerous in the world, with accidents claiming the lives of an average 10,000 people a year - a large portion in taxi-related crashes.

A study by the Automobile Association of South Africa recorded an annual total of 70,000 minibus taxi crashes, proving that taxis in South Africa account for double the rate of crashes than all other passenger vehicles combined.
And overloading accounts for 0,15% of all the known crashes, with faulty brakes 0,31%, burst or smooth tyres 1.15%, faulty lights 0.13% ... the list is endless. Most of these minibus taxis are Toyota Hiace vehicles.

And it’s pretty much the same scene in much of Africa. Minibus-taxis rule the roads, and thousands of people die in minibus-taxi crashes throughout Southern Africa every year.

45 kids… a new taxi-overload record?

taxi_overload 23 people and a goat Those 45 kids must have set a new record for overloaded taxis in South Africa. The previous record was set  when 23 passengers (17 adults and 6 children) and a goat climbed out of a minibus-taxi after it had been stopped for overloading. Traffic officers impounded the vehicle… Below is another example of overloaded mini-taxis.

PLEASE SEND ME YOUR PICTURES!  a.j.stuijt@knid.nl

Overloaded minibus taxi

LINKS AND SOURCES:

The study: https://www.up.ac.za/dspace/bitstream/2263/6052/1/022.pdf

http://jv.news24.com/Beeld/Suid-Afrika/0,,3-975_2520800,00.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Share_taxi

http://www.digitaljournal.com/image/49671