Pretoria - The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has urged all provincial and metropolitan traffic officers to provide evidence on Roadlink buses that have been discontinued, impounded or involved in crashes in the last five years.
The RTMC request follows the loss of five lives in a fatal crash involving a Roadlink bus in the Free State this morning.
The provincial and metro traffic officers have also been requested to include any notices issued for any contraventions committed by the driver or the operator in terms of driver fitness, vehicle fitness as well as moving violations.
According to Free State traffic officials, the crash occurred at around 4:45am when a Roadlink bus, travelling from Cape Town towards Mangaung, veered off the road and overturned on the N1 about 30 kms from Gariep towards Springfontein.
RTMC acting CEO, Collins Letsoalo, said as part of its special accident investigations, the RTMC would like to determine when last the bus was inspected for roadworthiness, whether a relief driver was on board, the rest stops that were taken along the route, the driver's track record as well as the offence record of the company in proportion to the number of buses in the fleet.
He said the intention was to determine the safety record of the bus company and take appropriate action where necessary.
Members of the public are also requested to report any unsafe incidences experienced on buses to 0861 400 800.
Traffic authorities will continue the checkpoints at weighbridges, tollgates, bus depots and train stations for all long distance and luxury coaches as part of the National Rolling Enforcement Plan.
