By Kabelo Abel Mokgalabone
Polokwane – A severely overloaded cross-border bus ferrying Malawian nationals was intercepted by law enforcement officers on the N1 bypass adjacent to the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Thursday morning.
The 65-seater bus, which was traveling from Gauteng to Malawi, was stopped after officers observed that it was dangerously overloaded. Upon inspection, authorities discovered that the vehicle was carrying a total of 117 occupants, including one driver, 101 adult passengers and 15 minors.
This exceeded the bus’s legal seating capacity by 52 passengers.
While being redirected to the Provincial Traffic Control Centre (PTCC), the bus became immobilised a short distance from the Polokwane weigh-bridge.
During the intervention, the driver allegedly attempted to flee the scene but was swiftly intercepted, restrained and arrested by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) working together with Limpopo Traffic Officers.
Authorities confirmed that the bus will remain at the PTCC until all excess passengers are safely removed and the required fine has been paid.
Law enforcement officials have reiterated their commitment to road safety, particularly during the busy festive season, warning that overloaded vehicles pose a serious risk to passengers and other road users.
