Driver arrested for attempting to bribe officers after heavily overloaded bus stopped in Limpopo
A Malawi-bound bus was stopped in Polokwane after it was found to be severely overloaded with 117 on board.
Image: Supplied
A bus driver has been arrested after he attempted to flee when traffic authorities stopped his vehicle and discovered that it was carrying an overwhelming 117 occupants despite it being a 65-seater bus.
The bus, which was destined for Malawi, was travelling from Gauteng via the N1 when it was stopped by traffic officers in Polokwane.
Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety spokesperson Matome Taueatsoala said officials noticed the severe overload and immediately intervened to prevent what could have resulted in serious injuries or loss of life.
Passengers are offloaded from a Malawi-bound bus stopped in Polokwane after travelling through Gauteng despite being severely overloaded.
Image: Supplied
Taueatsoala said the bus was stopped a short distance from the Polokwane weighbridge as officers attempted to redirect it to the Provincial Traffic Control Centre (PTCC) for further inspection. During the stop, the situation escalated when the driver allegedly attempted to flee the scene.
“He was promptly intercepted, restrained and arrested by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) working together with Limpopo traffic officers,” Taueatsoala said.
He further revealed that the driver allegedly attempted to bribe officers to avoid being taken to the weighbridge, an act that has since aggravated the case and now forms part of the ongoing investigation.
Taueatsoala also disclosed that the same bus had earlier been stopped in Centurion, Gauteng, where it was fined for having 11 passengers more than the carrying capacity.
“The ticket we have seen shows that at the time it was stopped in Centurion, it was overloaded with 11 passengers, and the driver paid the fine. However, the bus was later found overloaded with more than 50 passengers. We are not sure whether the driver continued loading passengers along the route,” he said.
He reiterated that overloading remains extremely dangerous, referencing a deadly bus crash in October in which more than 40 people lost their lives.
“We are appealing to bus companies to cooperate with us and ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and compliant,” Taueatsoala said.
Authorities confirmed that the bus will remain impounded at the PTCC until excess passengers are off-loaded and prescribed fines are paid. Investigations are ongoing.
The incident comes after the Road Traffic Management Corporation statistics for December 1-13 showed that 570 097 vehicles had been stopped by traffic authorities across the country with 2719 arrests made.
Major offences noted during the roadblocks included speeding, driving without a seat belt, driving without a drivers licence, unlicensed vehicles and worn out tyres.
There were also 13 cases where motorists attempted to bribe officers.