WATCH | Tight squeeze: Cops stop minibus ‘with 33 passengers’

• Law enforcement officials pulled over taxi carrying 33 passengers last week. 
• The minibus was impounded and the driver was arrested.
• The driver was charged with defeating the ends of justice and overloading his vehicle. 

Law enforcement officials on Friday morning pulled over a Quantum minibus taxi allegedly with 33 passengers squeezed into it. They discovered the overloaded taxi while conducting stop-and-checks on public transport vehicles in Harrismith, Free State.

In a video posted on social media, officials can be seen counting the passengers as they exit the vehicle one by one. Many of the passengers were children on their way to school.

The taxi, which has a passenger capacity of 14, was allegedly carrying double its allowed number of passengers when pulled over. 

Hillary Mophethe, spokesperson of the Department of Police, Roads and Transport, told News24 the driver was arrested. 

“The driver was arrested immediately and the vehicle was impounded. He will be facing two charges, defeating the ends of justice and overloading his vehicle,” Mophethe said. 

The driver will appear in court this week.