Scholar transport has come under scrutiny after 14 young children tragically died in a head-on crash with a truck on the R553 Golden Highway in Vanderbijlpark.
As calls for law enforcement to take action on illegal and unregulated scholar transport vehicles grow even louder amid the horror of the Vanderbijlpark crash, officials in Tshwane have impounded unroadworthy minibus taxis transporting children.
The Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) Public Transport Unit impounded 20 minibuses for being unroadworthy and for drivers operating without the necessary licenses.
Objectives
The scholar transport operations were carried out in Olivenhoutbosch and Montana on Wednesday and Thursday.
“The main objectives of these operations are to identify and eliminate vehicles and drivers who transport school children without the required licenses and who operate vehicles that are not roadworthy,” the TMPD said.
“This initiative is vital in protecting the lives of young passengers who depend on these vehicles for their daily school commute.”
ALSO READ: Death toll in Vanderbijlpark scholar transport crash rises
No leniency
The TMPD said it is essential for all operators to comply with road traffic regulations or face severe consequences.
“There will be no leniency for any driver who poses a danger to the lives of innocent passengers.”
Lenasia operation
On Thursday, authorities impounded more than 60 scholar vehicles carrying more children than they were allowed to, including illegal transport vehicles and those without public driving permits (PDPs) in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy conducted a blitz inspection of scholar transport in Lenasia following the horrific head-on crash with a truck, which claimed the lives of 14 schoolchildren in Vanderbijlpark on Monday.
Overloading
During the blitz, The Citizen discovered an overloaded Suzuki Ertiga with 14 scholars. The vehicle is only licensed to carry 7 passengers.
A bus, which was licensed to carry 60 pupils, was also overloaded with 98 pupils and was stopped during the operation.
Vaal scholar driver
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old scholar transport driver arrested in connection with the deaths of 14 school children in the horror Vanderbijlpark accident has abandoned his bid for bail.
Ayanda Dludla appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. The matter was delayed for a short while as he did not have a legal representative.
He has been charged with 14 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, one count of driving without a valid Professional Driving Permit, and one count of driving an unlicensed motor vehicle.
Fourteen young children tragically died in the head-on scholar transport crash with a truck on the R553 Golden Highway in Vanderbijlpark on Monday.
The case has been postponed to 5 March 2026.
ALSO READ: Lack of law enforcement has brought ‘scholar transport service to its knees’, Creecy says
