Five hundred Russian-made 16-seater minibus taxis are being recalled for the fourth time since March last year due to mechanical problems, the Sunday Times reported on Saturday.
The ”Gazelles” were built as part of the government’s R7,7-billion taxi-recapitalisation programme and were approved by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).
But owners quoted by the paper claim the vehicles were ”death traps” and that it would only be a matter of time before there were fatalities.
One of the owners, Ben Diergaardt from Olifantshoek near Upington, told the paper the vehicle started giving him problems just 15 minutes after he started driving it.
”I had only driven it for about 15 minutes when it stopped … it was smoking.”
The man said he had three gearboxes replaced, and that the wheel alignment was not done properly.
Other problems cited were wheel rims that keep cracking, poor-quality tyres that keep bursting,cracking dashboards, windscreens that pop out, door handles that fall out, defective gear levers and leaking roofs.
Outgoing GAZ SA managing director Terry Gregory said the windscreen sealant, gear boxes, hoses and pumps had collapsed because of the hot conditions in South Africa, and that thermostats and engines failed because they had been set for a cold climate.
Spokesperson for the Department of Transport, Collen Msibi, told the paper the government was not aware of the problem.
But CEO of McCarthy Motors, Brand Pretorious said ”everything possible was being done to support GAZ owners and sort out the situation”.
Theuns Blom, senior manager of the SABS’s automotive regulatory department said the Gazelle had undergone internationally-accepted tests, but that they were conducted on only one vehicle.
Such tests would not necessarily detect potential hazards such as metal fatigue, mechanical problems and weak rims. – Sapa