SIX schools in the Ugu and Umkhanyakude districts were part of a recent investigation into the scholar transport system.
The visits to the schools were conducted by the KwaZulu-Natal legislature following concerns raised by the pressure group Equal Education.
More than 7 000 pupils from 48 schools in the two districts benefit from a government transport subsidy.
The study found that problems included the discontinuation of routes which forced pupils to walk up to 10 kilometres a day and buses which experienced constant mechanical faults.
At one Harding school many pupils have been left stranded because some of the routes had been discontinued.
The provincial education department claims it is aware of the problems. But the National Transport Department has said that almost 50 000 out of 71 000 who qualified in the province were not benefitting.
This needs to change.
