Overloaded taxi with black-tinted windows exposes scholar transport risks in KZN

Road Traffic Inspectorate officers rescued 36 schoolchildren from an overloaded minibus taxi fitted with heavily black-tinted windows during an operation in Park Rynie on the first day of the new school term, authorities said.

What happened in Park Rynie

The taxi was found carrying 36 pupils and was impounded. The driver was fined more than R2,000 for multiple offences, including operating a vehicle with illegally tinted windows and failing to carry a valid driver’s licence, the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) reported.

The law on window tinting

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said South African road traffic regulations require window tinting that allows sufficient visibility. Side windows must allow at least 35% of visible light through and the front windscreen must allow at least 70%, he said.

Why tint limits matter

Authorities highlighted several safety concerns linked to excessively dark tint on scholar transport vehicles. Dark tint can:

• reduce the driver’s visibility, especially at night or in poor weather,
• make it difficult for traffic officers to see the driver during routine stops, and
• delay emergency responders from assessing passengers after a crash.

RTI noted that in the Park Rynie incident the dark windows also made it harder to detect overcrowding and unsafe conditions inside the vehicle.

Penalties and enforcement

Under the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) demerit system, motorists who operate vehicles with illegal window tint can receive demerit points. Additional demerit points apply for offences such as failing to carry a driver’s licence, and repeated offences can lead to the suspension or cancellation of a driver’s licence, officials said.

Duma said RTI officers, working with Operation Shanela teams, would continue targeting overloaded scholar transport vehicles and those fitted with heavily black-tinted windows, and that authorities would remove vehicles with illegal tinting from the roads to improve learner safety.

Advice for parents

Parents were urged to take simple checks before entrusting a transport provider with their child’s commute:

• Check whether the windows are so dark that you cannot clearly see inside the vehicle during daylight.
• Ensure the vehicle is not overcrowded.
• Confirm the driver appears to have the required operating permits and a driver’s licence.
• Report transport providers that consistently overload vehicles or appear to have illegally modified windows.