Parents and learners returned to the streets early this morning, blocking major roads as the scholar transport protest escalated and spread to more areas, including Reiger Park, Ramaphosa, and the Angelo and Makause/Marathon informal settlements.

Parents and learners initially blockaded major routes in and around Delmore Gardens, Delmore Park and nearby informal settlements in protest over ongoing school transport disruptions. The action is linked to the government’s apparent failure to pay scholar transport service providers, allegedly for several months.

Traffic disruptions
The protest has resulted in severe traffic congestion, with alternative routes also heavily affected and long delays reported. The situation has been exacerbated by dysfunctional traffic lights and a lack of traffic pointsmen.

With the protest entering its second day, the following roads remain closed:
• Commissioner Street and Elsburg Road across Reiger Park and Delmore
• Main Reef Road, from Angelo Hotel to Primrose
• Field Road in Lilianton
• Wit Deep Road (entire stretch) and a portion of Lower Boksburg Road on the border of Boksburg and Germiston

Failed negotiations
The renewed protest follows a meeting yesterday between community leaders and representatives from the Department of Education, which, according to Delmore community leader Sizwe Hlatshwayo, failed to yield any tangible outcomes.

“Frustrated by the lack of progress, parents had no choice but to intensify their action to ensure their concerns are addressed,” said Hlatshwayo.
Police are also having their hands full, as they monitor an increasing number of protest sites across the affected areas. Motorists have been urged to exercise caution and avoid the affected routes where possible.

‘We are not on strike, we ran out of money’: Bus operators
The government’s apparent failure to pay scholar transport service providers for several months has led bus operators to withhold services, leaving hundreds of learners without transport and severely disrupting schooling.

While the Department of Education has not responded to our request for comment, one bus operator, who asked not to be identified for fear of victimisation, confirmed that operators have gone four months without receiving payment, leaving them without funds for fuel or driver salaries.

Also Read: In Pictures: Unpaid scholar transport triggers protests in Boksburg

“The department owes millions of rand to operators running fleets of dozens of buses. We tried our best to continue operating for all these months, but our money to buy fuel and pay drivers has run dry,” said the operator.
He added that some buses are parked at schools with empty fuel tanks.

“We are constantly communicating with parents, and we also feel the pain of the children who are now left without transport to get to school. These are our future leaders, yet at such an early age, they are being exposed to government failures. It is not fair.”

Asked under what conditions operators would be willing to immediately resume services, the operator said transport would resume as soon as funds are received to refuel buses and pay drivers.
“We are not on strike. We simply ran out of money to operate and deliver the service. We are ready to transport the children as soon as we are paid,” he said, adding that the matter is now being handled by their lawyers.

Parents and learners say the prolonged non-payment has undermined children’s right to education, prompting them to protest to force urgent intervention from the relevant authorities.

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