Press conference- Elwierda Bus service accident

15 children killed in bus accident

 

Fifteen Wendy Wood school children were killed in a bus accident on Thursday 4 September after the bus had collided head on with a taxi. Elwierda Bus service was the company used to transport the children to a sporting event; the bus carried 35 children in total, 2 teachers and the driver. The cause of the accident is undergoing investigation.

 

Rumour has it that the bus driver was allegedly under the influence of alcohol but that allegation has not yet been proven. At a press conference, when asked whether the brand has a system to test their drivers for drunken driving, the reply was no, although their drivers do go for intensive training such as advanced driving so should they need to take complete control of a vehicle, they are fully capable. A representative also said that whenever there is an accident, the issue of alcohol is always raised.

 

The buses on average are 6 years old and are replaced once every 5 years. Each bus is annually inspected, tachographs; which are the black boxes of a bus, are monitored. Especially when transporting children, safety is key. The brand believes that this is not their fault entirely, ‘we cannot say it’s our fault as a brand.’ They also believe that their reputation has not been tarnished to a point where no one will use the service again, the brand feels that they offer ‘quite a safe service to the public.’ In the past 15 years, the company has suffered only 4 major accidents. According to the brand representative ‘when dealing with public transport, these things are inevitable.’

 

The bus driver is currently injured but will return to work once he is fully recovered.

The Elwierda Bus service expresses their condolences to the families of the children who lost their lives in the accident, by paying for all funeral arrangements as well as the medical bills of the other 11 injured.