At 4am on weekday mornings, Bhekani Nkanyane is already behind the wheel of his vehicle, navigating dark suburban roads to collect pupils one by one for school.
For Nkanyane, scholar transport is not just a job — it is his family’s only source of income. But in recent months, he says, keeping his business on the road has become a battle.
“Our livelihood depends on transporting schoolchildren safely to and from school,” he said. “Now our vehicles are being impounded while we are ferrying pupils. How are we supposed to survive?”
Nkanyane was among hundreds of operators who marched to the offices of Gauteng transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela this week, demanding answers on what they describe as harassment, permit backlogs and a lack of recognition by the province.
The protest was organised by the Gauteng Education Transport Services (Gets), with the Greater Gauteng Learner Transport Organisation (GGLTO) and other scholar operators.
They submitted memorandums to the Gauteng department of roads and transport, the Gauteng department of education and the office of premier Panyaza Lesufi, calling for urgent intervention and a written response within 14 days.
In the memorandum, Gets accused the department of roads and transport of unsatisfactory service delivery and unfair practices, including the impoundment of members’ vehicles while transporting children to school.
“Our members’ vehicles have been impounded by law enforcement officials while transporting children to school, as instructed by your office. This has caused significant disruptions to our members’ businesses and has put the safety and wellbeing of the children at risk,” the organisation wrote.
Operators say a key issue is the processing of operating licences. Gets claims the application process has unfair requirements, including the expectation that operators submit lists of pupils before they are allowed to operate.
Thabo Marolong, who has been in the industry for 28 years and represents Northern Education Transport Co-ordinators (Netco), said he applied for a permit five years ago and is still waiting.
“Yes, we have seen the accident in the Vaal and we sympathise with the affected families, but why is the department harassing us for that?” he said.
“Our cars get impounded for not having a permit, yet we have been waiting for years.”
He said when traffic officers stop operators without permits, vehicles are impounded and release fees of between R3,000 and R5,000 are demanded.
“The department has a backlog on their side and it affects us. Instead of taking accountability, they impound our cars and expect us to pay,” he said.
Gets provincial chairperson Matthews Mokhachane said engagements with the department have been difficult and frustrating.
“We want the government to recognise us as legitimate stakeholders. They take our cars and presume they are unfit to operate, but they do not even take them to testing stations to confirm that,” Mokhachane said.
In the memorandum, Gets also accused the MEC of publicly naming and shaming the organisation and making allegations of extortion without evidence, which it said was damaging to its reputation.
Beyond transport compliance issues, operators are also seeking inclusion subsidies similar to those in the taxi industry and access to post-Covid relief funding, saying many applications submitted have received no response.
In a separate memorandum to Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane, Gets requested formal recognition as a key stakeholder in scholar transport services.
The organisation also proposed that 22-seater vehicles be included in tender processes, rather than limiting contracts to large buses, arguing this would empower small operators.
“We request that the Gauteng department of education formally recognise our organisation as a key stakeholder,” Mokhachane said.
Operators also called on the department to normalise tender requirements, stop outsourcing contracts outside Gauteng and ensure all buses used to transport pupils are roadworthy.
They also objected to what they described as negative public statements labelling learner transporters as criminals.
Ruby Mamushi, 43, said she has been transporting school children for more than a decade, becoming the sole breadwinner after her husband’s death.
“We agree that proper roadworthy documentation is important, but the new compliance measures are too strict and unfair to us, especially private operators. We are trying to work and look after our families.”
After receiving the memorandum, Diale-Tlabela told protesting operators she would respond at an engagement session soon.
TimesLIVE
Seipati Mothoa
www.dailydispatch.co.za
