113 People in a MiniVan?

I just received this newspaper cutting from South Africa and couldn't resist posting it to the blog. For those of you who are South African, it's probably not such a surprising article and will illicit a wry smile - yes that's how it is in South Africa - now what else would you expect!!! For non-South Africans it will probably just be a very surprising article! For those who cannot read the text - this is what it says:-

Big squeeze: Traffic officers were speechless when 113 people - 105 of them children - climbed out of this taxi. Some passengers are still inside.

Five outstanding warrants against the driver!

More than I00 children from a crèche were squeezed into a taxi registered to carry 26 people, and 28 children were found packed into a bakkie at Khayelitsha in Cape Town yesterday. Traffic officer Jaco Strydom and Vernon Johnson who stopped the taxi, were speechless when they counted l05 children between the ages at three and six, and eight adults including the driver, crammed into the taxi registered to carry 26 people. The crèche had hired the bus to take the children to the Monwabisi resort for the day. Mogammat Mustapha media liaison assistant for Cape Town Traffic Services said the driver was arrested because he had five outstanding warrants against him. He was fined for driving without a license, having an expired operator's disc and for overloading. The vehicle was taken to the Khayelitsha Traffic Department where it was released to the owner, Mustapha said. “The city at Cape Town’s Social Services Department transported the children and adults back to the crèche. They were disappointed that they had been denied their promised outing, but schools must ensure that the vehicles they using are roadworthy and that the drivers have the necessary licenses”.

Strydom said hours later, at the same spot, they pulled over a bakkie transporting school children. The driver ran away and taxis were organized to take the children home. Own Correspondent.