The North West Transport Department has issued a strong warning to scholar transport service providers who do not comply with regulations, stating that their contracts will be cancelled.
This follows a report by the South African Human Rights Commission that revealed widespread problems in the province’s scholar transport programme, including the failure to properly vet drivers.
SAHRC Commissioner Nomahlubi Khwinana criticised the departments of transport and education for not ensuring a safe and functional scholar transport system. Khwinana explained that the ongoing issues in scholar transport are largely due to weaknesses within the Department of Community Safety and Transport and the North West Department of Education, which are jointly responsible for planning, implementing, and overseeing the programme.
The warning comes amid growing concerns about learner safety, following multiple incidents involving scholar transport across the country. The departments have been urged to take immediate action to address these failures and protect the children using the service.
The report highlights the need for urgent reform to ensure that scholar transport services are safe, properly managed, and accountable to both learners and their families.
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