Maputo, 10 Dec (AIM) – The Mozambican Minister of Transport and Logistics, João Matlombe, has suspended, with immediate effect, the company Transportes IDEAL, after one of its buses was found responsible for a traffic accident that killed seven people last Sunday in Manhiça district, about 90 kilometres north of Maputo, along the main north-south highway (EN1).
The accident involved a bus from the City Link transport company, which is an operator of Transportes IDEAL. The bus was travelling from Maputo to the central city of Quelimane route when it hit a Toyota Quantum minibus traveling in the opposite direction, from Xinavane to Maputo.
In a statement, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics claims that the company’s suspension was taken under the law on the Highway Code.
“The measure aims to protect the lives of citizens while the expert investigation is underway, which should support a final decision. The driver of the bus involved in the accident was also suspended”, Matlombe said, cited in the document.
The Ministry also set up a commission of inquiry, with a 15-day deadline to investigate and present a set of recommendations that will underpin the measures to be implemented in the future.
“Road safety remains a priority and rigorous measures will continue to be applied to operators who violate legal standards and compromise passenger safety”, reads the document.
In the first six months of this year, the country recorded 326 road accidents that resulted in 409 deaths.
(AIM)
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