Midrand scholar transport to shut down amid compliance dispute
Parents and guardians are urged to make alternative travel arrangements for learners on February 13, as school transport will not operate due to the planned shutdown.
Parents and guardians across Midrand have been urged to make alternative transport arrangements for February 13, as scholar transport operators affiliated with the Gauteng education transport services (Gets) embark on a planned shutdown.
Gets announced the shutdown as part of engagements and actions aimed at addressing ongoing challenges affecting scholar transport operators, including regulatory uncertainties and operational requirements that directly impact the safety, compliance, and sustainability of learner transport services.
Read more: SA provincial governments go zero-tolerance on unsafe learner transport
The Midrand Learners Transport Association (MLTA) confirmed it will join the province-wide action, citing growing frustration over regulatory challenges, and what it describes as ongoing harassment of operators. MLTA town chairperson Phil Pillay said the association fully supports the shutdown. “We stand with [the shutdown]. [Gets] is our mother body, and the shutdown is very essential, regarding what is happening now.”
He expressed concern over what he described as repeated stoppages of scholar transport vehicles, which he believes are unsettling learners. “I think it’s harassment [stopping learner transport carrying children]. Children are not safe in cars anymore. Every time they stop [us], our children [ask], ‘Malume (uncle), are you going to be arrested?’, They don’t know what to do.
While acknowledging that the department of transport has granted operators amnesty, Pillay said it does not go far enough. “The amnesty is not enough because there is no proper engagement with the top structures that we belong to. The main aim is to sit down with our leadership and discuss a way forward.”
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela held a meeting on February 8, addressing the provincial scholar transport stakeholder engagement at Johannesburg City Hall.
The meeting brought together scholar transport operators, industry stakeholders, and government representatives to discuss learner safety, compliance enforcement, and operational challenges facing the industry.
Diale-Tlabela stressed that the government is committed to supporting operators to regularise their operations. “The department has engaged private vehicle testing stations across Gauteng and negotiated reduced testing fees to make compliance more accessible. There is no excuse for transporting children in unroadworthy vehicles.
“As the department of roads and transport, our responsibility is to assist them and ensure they operate within the law, but we must meet each other halfway.”
Gets, which serves as a representative body for the scholar transport industry in Gauteng, confirmed that both affiliated and non-affiliated operators will not operate on the day of the shutdown.
The action is expected to be peaceful and lawful, with normal services anticipated to resume thereafter, subject to further communication. The body will hand over a memorandum of grievances to the department. “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding and co-operation as we work towards long-term solutions that will ultimately benefit learners, parents, and transport operators alike,” concluded Gets in a statement.
Follow us on our WhatsApp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
