The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has failed to pay scholar transport operators, forcing thousands of learners in at least 20 schools to go without transportation. This mismanagement within the department is costing learners valuable education time and leaving their parents in despair. The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on GDE MEC Matome Chiloane to pay operators and restore scholar transport without further delay.
The Gauteng Small Bus Operators’ Council (GASBOC) confirms that operators have gone unpaid for over three months, in breach of 30-day payment contracts, while the Department of Roads and Transport has failed to issue permits despite completed applications, pushing operators to suspend services with immediate effect, directly affecting schools across the province.
This is not an overnight crisis. It is the predictable consequence of chronic mismanagement, poor inter-departmental coordination, and a complete disregard for the daily realities faced by learners and parents. While Premier Panyaza Lesufi and MEC Matome Chiloane routinely speak about placing learners first, the scholar transport collapse proves otherwise. Learners cannot be “prioritised” in speeches while abandoned in practice.
The DA has repeatedly warned that failures in scholar transport place children at risk, not only of missing school, but of being forced into unsafe private vehicles. Yet, the government continues to react only after a tragedy strikes.
A DA-led Gauteng Government can make scholar transport work by ensuring operators are paid on time, making permit processes efficient and transparent and conducting regular vehicle inspections. These efforts would ensure learner safety and prevent learners from missing school due to disputes between departments and transport operators. Yes, this can be done!
Story: DA Shadow MEC for Education
