Taxi driver found guilty of ten murder charges

By Khanyisa Tabata
12 December 2011

The driver of the taxi in which 10 children died in August last year has been found guilty on ten murder and four attempted murder charges, in the Western Cape High Court.

Jacob Humphreys, who was a Blackheath taxi driver at the time of the accident, overtook a row of cars when his taxi was hit by an oncoming train.

He was taken into custody immediately after hearing the outcome of the trial. Sentencing proceedings have been scheduled for February next year.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister, Robin Carlisle, has hailed the judgement as ‘a victory for justice, and for road safety, for the entire country.

“There are a number of cases that I am personally following very closely where speeding, drunk and negligent killer drivers have run down children in the street,” said Carlisle.

The South African National Taxi Organisation has opened a hotline to report bad driving and inappropriate behaviour by taxi drivers.

The call centre is open from 8-AM until 5-PM every day. Santaco is urging taxi users to call the hotline for cases that involve bad or drunk driving, rude behaviour and overloading.

Taxi users can call 0860-726-822 with the taxi registration, date, time and place of the offence.