By Buziwe Nocuze
Cape Town passengers who use Avanzas, also known as amaphela, are asking the Khikhi Murray Association to do something about drivers who are drunk while driving.
Over the weekend, an allegedly drunk Avanza driver crashed into a Golden Arrow bus in Philippi East on Sheffield Road, injuring passengers and the driver.
An upset Avanza owner said the driver had been using his vehicle for two years.
“I heard they were drinking all night and didn’t sleep. I can’t say much more right now,” the owner said.
Golden Arrow spokesperson Bronwen Dyker-Beyer said the bus incident is still under investigation, but witnesses said the driver lost control and crashed into the bus.
Nophelele Sokoyi, a 45-year-old commuter who often travels in Avanzas, related a scary experience she once had with a drunk driver.
“I got into an Avanza, but I didn’t realise the driver was drunk until it was too late. While driving to Gugulethu Mall, he was drinking and almost crashed into other cars,” Nophelele said.
When she asked the driver why he was drinking, he rudely told her to mind her own business.
Another passenger said she was upset with the association. “They only help if the Avanza has a sticker number. If not, they don’t help when you’re robbed or when the driver is drunk. They need to stop blaming us for using these vehicles and start taking action.
“The association always tells us not to use Avanzas without sticker numbers, but many still don’t have them. Isn’t it their job to take these vehicles off the road to keep us safe?”
She thinks if the association removed Avanzas without stickers, there would be fewer problems like drunk driving and drivers robbing passengers.
Sticker numbers, displayed on the windscreen and back of the Avanza, help identify the vehicle.
Sihle Ndlebe, chairperson of the Khikhi Murray Association, said they’ve been asking passengers not to use Avanzas without sticker numbers.
“Drivers often remove the stickers. If passengers refused to use Avanzas without stickers, drivers would take it more seriously. It would be easier to deal with drunk drivers if everyone only used Avanzas with stickers,” Ndlebe said.
Pictured above: The Avanza that crashed into the Golden Arrow bus.
Source: Supplied
