Up in arms over scholar transport operators
Residents say the conduct of learners and scholar transport operators outside a primary school is ruining their neighbourhood.
Residents of Proot Street in Witpoortjie are hot under to collar about the conduct of scholar transport providers and children from Laerskool Culembeeck Primary School, who they allege are causing chaos in the neighbourhood.
According to resident Arthur Cooper, scholar transport operators who transport children to and from school have no respect whatsoever for homeowners and fellow road users, and neither do the learners themselves.
“The transport operators drive like they are being chased,” he says. “In addition, they park right in front of houses, blaring loud music through their speaker systems, and they think nothing of getting out of their vehicles to urinate against your wall or gate.
“If you dare confront them, they swear at you and threaten you. The situation is simply out of hand.”
Cooper’s close friend and neighbour of 10 years, Jan Nthombeni, affirms that the situation at the school needs urgent attention.
“Even the children show complete disdain toward us,” he says. “They run and play in the street with no regard for their own safety, they litter everywhere and they loiter on our sidewalks, damaging our lawns and our plants, often out of pure spite.”
Eunice Sithole, who owns a house right next to the school says she has suffered damage to her house with children throwing stones at her windows from within the school premises.
“I have had to resort to cutting down a tree growing in front of my house to try and discourage the drivers and children from urinating in front of my house,” she says.
Sithole adds that the school is used by scholar transport operators as a sort of exchange rank, where children from all over are dropped off to be picked up by other operators for transportation to other schools in the area, which adds to the problems.
The residents say they have called a number of meetings with the school and scholar transport operators, but nothing has changed.
“After our last meeting, things improved a little for about a month,” says Cooper.
The Roodepoort Record has sent detailed questions to the school’s principal but has not received any answer by the time of publishing.
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According to Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla, scholar transport operators are regulated by several laws including the National Road Traffic Act and bylaws of the City of Johannesburg.
“They are subject to the same traffic regulations as everyone else,” says Fihla, adding that they are required to have permits under which rules regarding their conduct are set out.
“The JMPD Community Outreach Unit, together with the Region C Operations and the Greater Johannesburg Learner Transport Organisation have been contacted to investigate the matter.
“They will be engaging with the scholar transport operators regarding their conduct and for further action to be taken.”
Fihla has urged residents to continue reporting bad behaviour of scholar transport operators or taxi drivers by calling the JMPD emergency number on 011 375 5911.
“They can also visit the JMPD station located at the corner of Fitzwygram and Arthur Street in Roodepoort to lodge a formal complaint.”
