AGONIZINGLY SLOW JOURNEY, PERIODIC BREAKDOWNS : PASSENGERS SPEAK OF IGNORED COMPLAINTS BEFORE THE KEI CUTTINGS HORROR ACCIDENT.

On the 16 of August 2021, South Africa was awakened by the horror news of a bus accident that claimed 28 lives on the scene with the death tall rising up to 31 lives in the few days that followed. The accident that happened on the N2 in the Kei Cuttings between just after the Kei Bridge between East London and Butterworth. A few days after the horrific accidents claims of poor service, poor conditions of the busses owned by Cape Town transport company DMJ and the lack of care from the company made rounds on social media.

With the death tall piling up to 31 people community leaders including political parties like the DA requested an investigation into the cause of the accident with survivors commenting about the state of the bus that veered off the road and plunged 200 meters claiming countless lives. One survivor claims that there was smoke coming from underneath the bus. This claim was collaborated by a few travelers who used DMJ Transport before. Another passenger spoke about how they were ill-treated and ignored by the company’s employees when they called to complain about the state of the bus and how they were enduring an agonizing ride from Cape Town to Mthatha which resulted in financial losses. In an email that was sent to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO), the passenger details an undesirable ordeal that they had to endure with the bus arriving late for pick up and breaking down when they about reach Bisho. After calling DMJ Transport and being rudely dealt with by a person that was said to be a manager who asked the passenger if he was not in the bus and told him “There’s nothing I can do, the bus is in motion” the disgruntled passenger decided to seek help from CGSO but his complaint has received no response to date.

It has been widely reported that the bus that over crashed was impounded three times in the past by the traffic department due to it’s road unworthiness. DMJ Transport has been struggling financially with five banks repossessing five of its nineteen busses and the company was placed under business rescue with recent reports claiming that it is now in the process of liquidation. In the wake of such a horrific accident the question of proper transport inspections and accountability where human lives are involved is left hanging.

NB : CGSO had not responded to our questions before this article was published and DMJ management was unreachable. Should we get answers we will amend the article accordingly.