Picture: A bus from Zimbabwe with passengers/Generic
By OBAKENG MAJE
A suspected undocumented Zimbabwean driver allegedly abandoned his bus with 78 passengers inside. This comes after the North West traffic officers, allegedly stopped a bus with Zimbabwean registration number on R101 road, near Carousel Casino, outside Pretoria on 10 January 2024.
The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari said the alleged driver fled on foot. Lehari further said the traffic officers were on their regular patrol when they stopped the bus.
“The bus had 78 passengers and was apparently en route to Johannesburg. After bringing the bus to a stop, the driver alighted and took off on foot, leaving perplexed officers behind. However, his passengers were not bemused by his antics.
“The traffic officers called the police and handed the matter to them. The passengers were taken to the Makapanstad Police Station for verification of their status and the bus was impounded. We would like to applaud the traffic officers for exceptional work,” he said.
Lehari added that this is a further testimony that, their operations and monitoring mechanisms on the roads are impactful. He said they had been on all roads – both interconnecting and rural to ensure that, there is compliance with the law.
“The presence of law enforcement and their efficiency has been extolled by ordinary citizens as is the case with Johannesburg resident, Lorenzo Roberts, who praised our traffic officers on social media.
“Roberts was stranded on his way from a family outing in Sun City and was assisted by our friendly law enforcement officers. Ordinary people must feel safe in the presence of law enforcement officers. They should not be petrified and we are happy when citizens give us this type of feedback,” said Lehari.
He said due to every presence of the traffic officers, the fatalities on the North West roads stand at just below 90, which is about 10% less compared to the same period last year. Lehari said the traffic is expected to pick up going into the weekend as schools will be opening next week.
The Guardian 