The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety has intercepted an overloaded bus carrying more than 117 passengers, including 15 minors, travelling from Gauteng to Malawi.

 

Limpopo overload bussupplied

The 65‑seater cross-border bus was stopped on the N1 bypass outside Polokwane, near Peter Mokaba Stadium, on Thursday, after officers noticed it was severely overloaded.

Spokesperson Matome Taueatsoala said the vehicle was carrying 117 occupants—101 passengers, 15 minors, and one driver—52 passengers over its legal capacity.

“The bus, en route from Gauteng to Malawi, became immobilized a short distance from the Polokwane weighbridge while being redirected to the Provincial Traffic Control Centre (PTCC),” Taueatsoala said.

He added that the driver attempted to flee during the stop but was quickly intercepted, restrained, and arrested by Limpopo Traffic Officers and the South African Police Service (SAPS).

The bus will remain at the PTCC until the excess passengers are removed and the prescribed fine is paid.

“Further investigations are underway,” he said.

The interception formed part of Operation Malaysia, a road safety campaign aimed at removing overloaded and unroadworthy vehicles from the road network.

On Wednesday morning, 105 vehicles were grounded during the operation.

“Enforcement was carried out at the Mantsole Traffic Control Centre, which links Gauteng, North West, and Limpopo, as well as at Groblersbridge, a major gateway for traffic to Botswana and other SADC countries,” Taueatsoala said.

He warned that overloading endangers lives, increases braking distances, damages roads, and significantly raises the risk of fatal crashes.

“We appeal to all commercial vehicle operators and public transport services to stop prioritizing profit over human life. Wealth should never be accumulated at the expense of innocent road users,” Taueatsoala said.

“Operation Malayisha will continue with intensified enforcement. Any unroadworthy or overloaded vehicle will be immediately removed from the road to ensure the safety of passengers and all road users,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has urged parents to use child restraints or car seats this festive season.

RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said roadside checks have revealed that many parents allow children to travel unrestrained, even when vehicles are equipped with approved restraints.

“Parents are reminded that the use of appropriate restraint systems is not negotiable when travelling with children on South African roads,” Zwane said.

He added, “It is a legal requirement for infants and children under the age of three to be secured in a correctly fitted child seat. It is a criminal offense to allow a child younger than 14 years to travel unrestrained in a vehicle that has seatbelts.”