Limpopo Authorities Crack Down on Overloaded Cross-Border Buses

Limpopo authorities have intensified enforcement against overloaded cross-border buses after intercepting several vehicles carrying far more passengers than permitted (image source)

POLOKWANE — The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety has intensified enforcement against overloaded cross-border buses, warning that overcrowding is becoming increasingly common amid a surge in fatal bus accidents. Provincial authorities say the trend poses a serious threat to road safety, particularly during peak cross-border travel periods.

In the early hours of Sunday, traffic officers at the Zebediela Traffic Control Centre (ZTCC) intercepted two cross-border buses and more than 20 other vehicles for serious violations of road safety regulations. The first bus, licensed to carry 63 passengers, was found transporting 72 adults and 10 minors, bringing the total to 82 passengers. It was travelling from Durban to Zimbabwe. The second bus, certified for 70 adult passengers, was carrying 67 adults and 12 minors, a total of 79 passengers, and was en route from Johannesburg to Zimbabwe.

Both buses were detained, along with several light delivery and heavy motor vehicles found towing unroadworthy trailers. Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety Violet Mathye praised traffic officers for their vigilance but raised concern that buses are often allowed to travel long distances before being stopped. “It is unacceptable for buses to travel from as far as KwaZulu-Natal only to be stopped in Limpopo. Enforcement must begin at the source through stronger inter-provincial cooperation,” Mathye said. She warned transport operators that violations would not be tolerated, adding that authorities would continue to clamp down on irresponsible drivers and operators.

In a separate incident on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, a northbound cross-border bus was intercepted at the Mantsole Traffic Control Centre weighbridge. The vehicle was overloaded on both the front and rear axles, exceeding the legal gross vehicle mass by 5 640 kilogrammes. The bus, travelling from Gauteng to Malawi, was carrying more than 90 passengers, mostly women and children, despite being licensed for only 65 seats. Officials issued an overloading summons and declared the bus unroadworthy.

Authorities detained the vehicle at Mantsole until the operator arranged alternative transport for passengers. On 16 December alone, traffic officials screened 62 cross-border buses and issued 26 overloading charges. The department reiterated its call for transport operators to ensure proper load distribution, passenger limits and vehicle roadworthiness before undertaking long-distance journeys, warning that non-compliance will continue to attract strict enforcement.

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