Pretoria - A family of four, including a one-year-old girl and three-year-old boy, were killed in a horrific accident on the notorious Moloto Road in Pretoria.
Transport Department spokesperson, Logan Maistry, said traffic officials alleged that the driver of the car with four family members, lost control of the vehicle and collided head-on with a bus.
Maistry said the fatal accident happened 25km away from the law enforcement roadblock targeting public transport, including buses.
"All the occupants of the car ... were killed. Passengers in the bus also sustained multiple injuries," he said.
Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has conveyed condolences to the bereaved relatives.
"We want to convey condolences to the families and relatives of those killed in this gruesome road crash, and wish the injured a speedy recovery. This is yet again an unnecessary loss of innocent lives," said the minister.
Meanwhile, at the joint multi-disciplinary operation, which commenced at 5am on the Moloto Road, traffic officers stopped and checked more than 60 buses.
At least 22 buses were discontinued from use, and taken to the Watloo Vehicle Testing Station for further testing.
During the past two weeks since the renewed focus on public transport, 71 985 public transport vehicles have been stopped and checked; 210 scholar transport vehicles, 47 buses, 108 mini-buses and 41 trucks have been discontinued from use, and 18 244 fines issued.
More than 230 public transport drivers were arrested: 13 for drunk driving; 10 for excessive speed; eight for reckless and or negligent driving; 24 in connection with public transport permits and the majority, 171 for overloading.
On August 31, Ndebele instructed law enforcement officers to stop and check every bus and taxi on South Africa's roads, following the deaths of at least 76 people last month in eight separate crashes involving public transport vehicles in KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Mpumalanga, Western Cape, Gauteng and Eastern Cape.
One year since the announcement of the new National Rolling Enforcement Plan (NREP) by Ndebele, more than 18 000 drunk drivers have been arrested and 50 000 un-roadworthy vehicles removed from the country's roads.
Ndebele has warned South Africans to obey road rules or pay the price. "During this Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, traffic law enforcement will be intensified without compromise in order to make our roads safe.
"We want to warn South Africans to obey the rules or pay the price. Remember, you can run but you can't hide. The carnage on our roads must be stopped."
In another accident this morning in KwaZulu-Natal, nine school children were injured after the driver of the bakkie they were travelling in lost control and smashed into a tree near Pietermaritzburg. - BuaNews
