Austrian police stopped a people carrier built to carry nine people yesterday… and found it carrying a family of 42.
The passengers, who told officers they were all members of the same family, numbered an astonishing 20 adults and 22 children, aged between one and nine.
About 12 adults had squashed onto the minibus’ eight available passenger seats while the rest crammed into the luggage area at the back, which measured about six feet by six feet.
The people carrier which had French number plates was apparently on its way to Regensburg in Germany when it was stopped in Austria travelling on the A1 western motorway between Vienna and Salzburg at Altlengbach.
Austrian police said they had used several vehicles to transport the family to the train station in St Poelten where they had been ordered to get tickets and carry on their journey by train.
The driver of the vehicle was allowed to carry on to Germany with eight other members of the family, with the others agreeing to go by train.
The driver faces charges of breaking several local traffic laws and police said they had ordered the driver when they stopped him to pay a security that would cover any fines, in case he doesn’t show up to court. Once that had been paid the man had been allowed to carry on.
Tags: FORTY TWO