The Road Freight Association (RFA) says the crash on the N2 in Pongola in northern KwaZulu-Natal should never happen again.
RFA chief Gavin Kelly says what needs to be done is to find ways to prevent such an incident from happening again.
The families of those who died in the tragic crash say the community has been concerned about the impact of trucks in the area for a long time.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula released findings of the accident report, which found that the driver of the truck was negligent, driving for about a kilometer towards oncoming traffic before colliding with the bakkie carrying the children.
Truck driver Sibusiso Siyaya is facing 20 charges of culpable homicide.
The Association has again expressed condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the horror crash in the Pongolo Municipal area.
“This is what is of concern, is that even though you can have good systems in place, where you can have the best of intentions, either as the owner of a transport company, a fleet operator, or a driver, things do go wrong. What we do need to understand really are two things, how do we prevent it from happening again, this tragedy, and secondly what was it that caused the driver to do this?” says Kelly.
RFA’s Gavin Kelly discusses the report by Transport Minister:
Ban of trucks
Last week, the Mayor of Zululand District Municipality, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, called for the banning of trucks on certain routes along the area.
Communities along the R34, which is now being used as an alternative route for trucks since the gruesome crash, also called for the total ban of trucks in their area.
Communications Manager in Zululand District Municipality, Zanele Mthethwa says the mayor is calling for the banning of trucks on the routes.
“Zululand mayor Thulasizwe Buthelezi calls for banning of trucks during the day on these routes. The R34 from Vryheid to Richard’s Bay and the N2 from Pongola to Richard’s Bay. Buthelezi is calling for a national strategy to deal with the trucks”.
VIDEO: Residents of Pongola say recklessness by truck drivers who travel on the N2 has become a norm:
