Western Cape Bus Accident: Transport Minister Orders Simlex To Suspend Operations
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Felix Mhona, has ordered Simlex Transport and Logistics (Pvt) Ltd to suspend operations until the bus company is compliant with all relevant regulations.
This comes after one of the company’s coaches was involved in an accident on Saturday, 9 March, in Western Cape, South Africa, which resulted in the death of 13 Zimbabweans and injuries to 12 others.
The bus was travelling from Harare to Cape Town when it collided with a haulage truck along the Hex River Pass, approximately 140 kilometres before Cape Town.
Mhona said investigations have revealed that Simlex was not authorised to provide the service, therefore, the company will not be allowed to operate until it is fully compliant. He said:
The accident is yet another call to all transport operators, motorists, and members of the public to adhere to road traffic rules and exercise caution on the road.
It is concerning to note that our investigations have revealed that the operator was not authorised to provide this service, thus, I have directed the Commissioner of Road Motor Transportation to implement relevant provisions of the Road Motor Transportation Act [Chapter 13:15], including, among others, suspension of operations until the operator is fully compliant with all the relevant regulatory and policy frameworks.
More: Pindula News
