By Akani Nkuna
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has called for a review of the current scholar transport system, citing loopholes and minimal government control as dangerous, and urging stronger, centralised state intervention.
Lesufi was speaking to the media in Sedibeng following a tragic scholar transport accident in Vanderbijlpark on Monday, 19 January, which claimed the lives of 12 learners.
“There must be a mechanism not only to identify them, but to find a way of ensuring that we can account for their behaviour and control,” Lesufi said.
“You can see from this incident that society is asking government and the public sector why scholar transport has been left as a private arrangement. It is quite clear that this private arrangement does not work.”
Lesufi confirmed that the taxi driver involved in the crash, who was operating without a valid permit after his Professional Driving Permit (PDP) expired in November 2025, has been arrested and is expected to appear in court soon.
Meanwhile, the truck driver involved in the collision and his assistant have both been discharged from hospital and are expected to provide detailed statements to police. Lesufi added that only two learners remain in ICU.
Between 12 and 18 January, the provincial government conducted an intensive evaluation of scholar transport across Gauteng.
During this period, 353 handwritten notices were issued to non-compliant scholar transport vehicles in Tshwane, amounting to fines totalling R511,000.
In Johannesburg, authorities issued 432 notices to operators who failed to comply with regulations for transporting learners, with fines amounting to R696,000.
Lesufi said these proactive measures were undertaken ahead of the start of the academic calendar to ensure learner safety, resulting in notices, arrests and the discontinuation of unsafe vehicles across the province.
“We have discontinued 14 buses in Tshwane, 68 in Johannesburg and 11 in Ekurhuleni. In total, 93 buses were stopped from transporting our children using our proactive method of inspecting vehicles before the school calendar resumed,” Lesufi said.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube echoed Lesufi’s call for reform, saying scholar transport vehicles should be clearly identifiable through stickers, branding and reporting numbers to curb reckless driving.
“It is also about how best we can incorporate those who are providing private transport services into the framework, but in a way that they can be registered and identified,” Gwarube said.
She added that government currently procures service providers on behalf of schools to oversee compliance, roadworthiness and prevent overcrowding.
“In the current fiscal reality, it is not possible to immediately say that government will own buses for all schools,” Gwarube said.
INSIDE EDUCATION
