ALSO READ: Bus collides with truck in Free State

The bus carried at least 70 people when it was involved in the horrific collision on Thursday 10 November 2022 with a logistic truck from Sedaka in the North West. As a result, 7 people - including both drivers - died on the scene and many were left injured.

ALSO READ: Seven people dead, 38 injured, and many trapped after Free State bus accident

Since then, a Mangaung politician has unabatedly taken a swipe at the bus company and the Department of Police, Roads, and Transport for allegedly allowing the bus on the road. He alleges it was not roadworthy. The member of the Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats (AASD), Zwelakhe Joseph Msabe, alleges two tyres of the bus were worn off and it should not have been allowed on the road. 

He, however, adds that in no way in his utterances he suggests that the truck was not at fault but he believes that the bus company had failed to properly follow the Road Traffic Management Act.

“Although rumours are absolving the Interstate Bus Lines (IBL) driver from any wrongdoing, it would seem that the damage caused could have been minimised if not avoided. Are IBL buses subjected to routine road inspection by traffic (Transport) law enforcement officers like taxis, trucks, and cars? Mind you, these buses have no seatbelts for passenger safety to mitigate inertia during a collision. We keenly look forward to the accident report and hope it will be publicised for transparency and accountability purposes,” Msabe adds.

Meanwhile, the company has strongly opposed the view of anyone suggesting that its bus was not in good condition.

IBL Stakeholder Relations Manager, Vuyo Ondala, said the tyre tread of the bus before the accident was well within the legal limit and was assessed a day before the collision.

ALSO READ: Death toll of N8 collision increases to 9

Ondala adds that in addition to IBL inspecting the accident scene, officials from the Department of Police, Roads, and Transport went to physically inspect the bus wreck in response to false claims spread on social media in respect of the tyre condition.

“Both IBL and the department regard the false claims as opportunistic attempts to harm not only the reputation of IBL but also that of the department. We further confirm that bus 651 passed an independent roadworthy assessment on 9 November 2022 and that the tyre inspection forms part of the fitness test that the bus passed. Our preliminary report indicates that the collision happened on the far-left side of the bus lane, however, we are awaiting the final report from an external independent accident investigator and the SAPS. We are saddened to learn of the death of another passenger who was initially discharged from the hospital but later succumbed to injuries sustained from the accident,” Ondala further adds. 

The families of the passengers and our IBL driver, after losing their loved ones on 10 November 2022 due to the collision on the N8, will receive financial funeral assistance from Interstate Bus Lines' insurance. IBL is in the process of getting in touch with all the families to help with the arrangements. The department has since referred questions about the report to the bus liner.

Injured commuters were taken to the Botshabelo Hospital (22) and the Moroka Hospital in Thaba Nchu (9), whilst critically and moderately injured people have been transported to the Pelonomi Trauma Hospital (6) and Rosepark Life Hospital (1) in Bloemfontein by various emergency medical services. Patients included 3 critically injured, 19 moderately injured, and 32 with minor injuries, with 7 people declared dead on the scene - both the drivers and 5 passengers. Another two people died afterwards.

It has been said that there were more than 60 passengers on the bus. It’s also understood that the police investigations into what transpired are still ongoing.

OFM News