It is such predicaments that tugged the heart-strings of the executive committee of the Midrand Learner Transport Association, who lent a helping hand to children and parents to cope with the traffic and time pressures in getting children to and from school.
“The biggest challenge in Midrand is getting children to school on time,” said public relations officer for the association Brian Govender.
The association aims to govern and regulate pupil transport and is affiliated to the Gauteng Education Transport Services.
The executive committee is made up of Midrand community members who have a passion to help alleviate the school-trip struggle, from Kyalami to Rabie Ridge and Ivory Park.
Up to now, the executive committee has had difficulty in getting parents to sign up to the association. Govender believed parents either did not know about them, or signed up to any driver without checking credentials.
He believes the association plays a vital role in helping parents and school pupils. It provides an umbrella organisation for drivers to sign up to. Parents can then sign up to the drivers – rest assured that the association has ensured the drivers and vehicles are safe and have the needed requirements to transport school pupils.
The association has about 120 drivers transporting children to and from Midrand schools daily.
Govender said the drivers provide a safe and friendly trip for children, and joked that some of the drivers even get their arms twisted into giving pocket money to the children. The drivers also ensure the children go through the school gates.
The association also cracks down on discipline with regards to pupils entering and exiting Midrand schools: those pupils who look suspicious could be searched for drugs, cigarettes or weapons by patrollers outside the school gates. The patrollers are identifiable with marked reflective vests.
Details: Midrand Learner Transport Association, 011 046 9844
011 046 9844.
