South Africa province halts private school transport amid permit crackdown after tragic bus crash
Fourteen school pupils were killed on January 19 when their school transport minibus collided with a truck.
Private scholar transport operators in Mahikeng, in South Africa’s NorthWest Province, have suspended operations after provincial authorities began confiscating vehicles over permit compliance.
It follows heightened scrutiny of scholar transport safety following a crash in Gauteng that killed 14 learners.
Authorities last week intensified a crackdown on school transport safety in Gauteng, impounding over 60 vehicles for various offences, including operating without valid permits and roadworthiness certificates.
Two drivers were arrested for overloading during the inspections.
‘Lacking permits’
The operators, who use seven-seater vehicles to transport schoolchildren, say the provincial Department of Transport is impounding their vehicles because they lack the required permits.
Operators’ representative Ofentse Mokhuane said the shutdown was costing drivers their livelihoods and putting their vehicles at risk, state media SABC reports.
“We want to speak to the MEC to say, please, we are not fighting with any department. We just want to work and we want to work in peace,” Mokhuane said.
The transport dispute comes amid heightened scrutiny of scholar transport safety following a fatal crash in Gauteng last week.
Families mourn
On Sunday, families of learners who died in a minibus accident in Vanderbijlpark paid tribute to the victims during a joint funeral service held in Sebokeng, in the Vaal.
Fourteen school pupils were killed on Monday when their school transport minibus collided with a truck on the Golden Highway in Vanderbijlpark.
Among the mourners were Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga, who urged parents to carefully assess transport services used by their children.
“A child has the right to safety, security, education and to reach home alive. To parents and guardians today we issue a clarion call. Vet every driver and vehicle. Ask for a license and verify it. If it is a promise, it is not good enough. Your vigilance is not a suspicion, it is love in action,” Chikunga said.
She also warned scholar transport operators against prioritising profit over safety.
“To operators and owners, you do not carry loads. You carry futures. If your model requires cutting corners, then it’s not good for this country. Upgrade or step aside. We will continue to support good drivers. And we will continue to remove bad ones from our roads,” Chikunga added.