– Ingxenye engaphezu kwengxenye yezwe, izifundazwe ezingu-30, sezimemezele ukuthi zizomisa ukufakwa okwengeziwe kohlelo lwezitimela oluphikisanayo emigwaqweni ezweni lonke, ngemuva kokuba abagxeki bethi lokhu kwakuyindlela yokufihla ushintsho oluyingozi ekwakhiweni kwezitimela ezibange cishe eminyakeni eyishumi nambili edlule.
Ijaji laseTexas lithole ekuqaleni kwale nyanga ukuthi umenzi wezitimela iTrinity Industries wakhohlisa uhulumeni ngokwenza izinguquko ngo-2005 ngaphandle kokwazisa izikhulu zezokuthutha zikahulumeni noma zesifundazwe, futhi izifundazwe eziningi zamemezela ukumiswa kwezitimela ezintsha ze-ET-Plus. ITrinity yayalwa ukuba ikhokhe imali engaba yizigidi ezingu-175 zamaRandi - inani okulindeleke ukuthi liphindwe kathathu ngaphansi kwegunya elisemthethweni.
Izifundazwe ezingamashumi amathathu zithe ngeke zisafaka uhlelo lwe-ET-Plus, kanti ezinye zezengezo zakamuva yiKentucky, Tennessee, Kansas, Georgia kanye nesifundazwe saseTexas okuyikhaya likaTrinity. Isifundazwe saseVirginia sithe ngesonto eledlule sisebenza ezinhlelweni zokususa izivikelo emigwaqweni emikhulu, kodwa sizocabangela ukuzishiya endaweni yazo uma iTrinity ingafakazela ukuthi izinguqulo eziguquliwe ziphephile.
Uhlelo lwe-ET-Plus lwaluyisihloko sophenyo lwe-ABC News “20/20” ngoSepthemba, olwalubheka izimangalo zezisulu zengozi zokuthi ukushintsha imigqa yokuvikela kwakuzosebenza kabi uma kushayiswa imoto isuka ngaphambili. Esikhundleni sokuqhekezeka nokumunca umthelela njengoba uklanyelwe, imigqa yokuvikela “iyavaleka” bese ingena ngqo emotweni, kwezinye izimo inqamule imilenze yomshayeli.
Ngokusho kwe-imeyili yangaphakathi etholwe yi-ABC News, isikhulu senkampani silinganisele ukuthi ushintsho olulodwa oluthile - ukunciphisa ucezu lwensimbi ekugcineni kwe-guardrail kusuka kumasentimitha angu-5 kuya kumasentimitha angu-4 - kuzosindisa inkampani u-$2 nge-guardrail., noma u-$50,000 ngonyaka.
I-Federal Highway Administration inikeze iTrinity kuze kube ngu-Okthoba 31 ukuthi ithumele izinhlelo zokuhlola izivikelo noma ibhekane nezinhlelo zokumisa ukuthengiswa kwayo ezweni lonke. Ezinye zezifundazwe ezingu-28 zithi ukuvinjelwa kwe-ET-Plus kusekhona okungenani kuze kube yilapho imiphumela yalezo zivivinyo zokuphahlazeka itholakala.
I-Trinity ibilokhu igcizelela ukuthi izivikelo ziphephile, iphawula ukuthi i-FHWA ivumile ukusetshenziswa kwezivikelo ezibuyekeziwe ngo-2012 ngemuva kokuphakamisa imibuzo mayelana nokuguqulwa. Le nkampani ihlela ukudlulisa icala ngesinqumo saseTexas, njengoba itshele i-ABC News ukuthi "inethemba elikhulu" ekusebenzeni nasekuthembekeni kohlelo lwe-ET-Plus.