JOHANNESBURG – Transport minister Fikile Mbalula said the movement of goods needs to return to the railway in order to ease the pressure of trucks on the country’s roads.
He was speaking in Pongola in KwaZulu-Natal at the scene of a fatal head-on collision between a truck and a bakkie.
The accident claimed the lives of 18 children and two adults last Friday.
A report released by Mbalula points to recklessness on the part of the truck driver who will face multiple culpable homicide charges in court.
Mbalula said trucks had become killers on the road “and the government needs to do its job by implementing road safety measures, including law enforcement.”
He said they would now look to rail to transport freight.
“And our policy of moving them from the road to rail in terms of transportation of goods has become urgent and necessary – between the Department of Transport and the Department of Public Enterprises.
“But with rail services falling victim to vandalism and looting, it’s uncertain when the move to rail will materialise.This afternoon, we met gave the families the report.
