Pretoria - The 20-year jail sentence imposed on minibus taxi driver Jacob Humphreys is a warning to all those who disregard the rules of the road around level crossings, says Metrorail.
In a statement, Metrorail said it welcomed the stiff sentence handed down by Western Cape High Court Judge Robert Henney on Tuesday.
Humphreys was convicted of murder following an accident on 25 August 2010 at the Buttskop level crossing in Cape Town. While transporting children to school, he overtook a row of cars, ignoring safety signals for a level crossing and proceeded over the tracks, killing 10 children and injuring four others.
"We urge motorists to take note of this judgement and appreciate that their behaviour at level crossings not only places their own lives in harm's way, but the lives of others either on the road or in the train that may be passing the crossing," said Metrorail in a statement.
It said it remained committed to working with road authorities and law enforcement authorities to enforce correct behaviour at level crossings and reduce the number of fatalities experienced each year.
