Another learner has tragically died following the accident involving a taxi and a train in Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape last Thursday.

This brings the total number of fatalities to three.

The taxi was carrying learners to school when it collided with a train transporting manganese near the Nomathamsanqa Informal Settlement, close to Addo.

Five pupils were transferred to Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha, where three are still receiving treatment.

Another injured learner was admitted to Uitenhage Provincial Hospital and the fifth to Sunday’s River Hospital in Kirkwood.

Inadequate transportation

Many learners across a large area of the Eastern Cape, who live some distance from their schools, were unable to attend school over the past two weeks due to inadequate transportation.

Many learners waited at designated pick-up points for hours, to no avail.

In a media statement, Mbulelo Mpupu, the director at the District Offices of the Eastern Cape Department of Education, said the Eastern Cape Cabinet approved the transportation of an additional 103 000 learners from Monday. Additional funding was also granted.

Schools were requested to ensure the accurate uploading of learner data in the Education Management Information System by Friday to accommodate all learners without transportation to schools.

Drivers unsure of payment

“Only one taxi did not arrive on Monday at Schoombee Primary School,” says the school’s headmaster, Elna Jordaan.

“Upon enquiry, the driver explained that he needed to renew his PDP licence and assured us that he would be available for scholar transport on Tuesday.

“Bus drivers reported that they had not received full payment for services rendered during the last term of 2023. They claim that no contracts are in place and are uncertain about their pick-up points or payment per kilometre for 2024, as this information has not been provided to them.”

Budget relief

The spokesperson for the Department of Transport in the Eastern Cape, Kuselwa Rantjies, says the Eastern Cape Executive Council (Exco) has approved requests for interim budget relief of R90.37m to enable the department to provide scholar transport services to learners for the current academic year, including the payment of accruals totalling just over R11m.

The additional budget brings the provincial government’s investment in this programme to over R1b, aimed at improving access to education for thousands of learners, mainly in rural poor communities. Exco provisionally approved extending the service from 90 917 to 103 000 learners.

The approved budget will ensure the programme remains operational and adequately funded.

In an article published on January 25, Graaff-Reinet Advertiser reported that the Department of Transport and Education, in collaboration with the Provincial Programmes Support Unit, worked to identify sustainable funding models and conduct cost-benefit analyses for learners travelling more than 40km to schools daily.

A new software application was developed as part of the service monitoring process, but taxi and bus drivers informed the Graaff-Reinet Advertiser that they are required to cover the costs of the equipment themselves and lack the necessary tracking systems, smartphones, or laptops to manage these systems effectively.

“We must also mention that cellphone reception is non-existent in many areas where these taxis and buses operate to collect learners, rendering the smart app ineffective in deep rural areas,” said Jordaan.