On Friday, 6 February, Gauteng Small Bus Operators Council (GASBOC) decided to continue suspending its services after not reaching an agreement with Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) during a feedback meeting held at Carnival City in Ekurhuleni. The council announced that the suspension will remain in place until the department settles three months of outstanding payments and presents a workable solution.
According to GASBOC, this decision followed the first and only engagement between them and the GDE, held on Thursday, 5 February. “During that meeting, the Department tabled an offer which operators unanimously described as unreasonable, disrespectful, unworkable, and which failed to address the core issue of non-payment for services already rendered,” said GASBOC.
GASBOC Secretary, Paul Zikhali said: “This was not an emotional or reckless decision. Our members carefully assessed what was presented and found it impossible to implement without compromising operational viability and, ultimately, scholar safety.”
Zikhali added that the suspension is not a strike but a direct consequence of the department’s failure to honour contractual obligations. He went on to explain that scholar transport operators in Gauteng are paid strictly according to the number of school days worked, under a pay-as-you-go model. “When payments are delayed for months, maintenance schedules collapse, fuel accounts are exhausted and staff cannot be paid. That reality directly affects safety,” he said.
GASBOC also rejected claims that its members are ireesponsible or that are operating unroadworthy vehicles. The council mentioned that all scholar transport vehicles undergo strict inspections and are issued with operating permits and compliance discs through approved Gauteng government processes.
“It is misleading to question the legality or roadworthiness of vehicles that have been certified by government itself. No operator can legally transport scholars without first meeting these requirements, and our members comply because the safety of children is nonnegotiable,” Zikhali said.
GASBOC has urged government to stop stalling on the issuing of operating permits to legitimate applicants. “Many compliant operators have experienced a snail’s pace in permit processing despite having submitted all required documentation and met regulatory criteria. These delays further undermine planning, sustainability and service stability in the sector,” said GASBOC.
GASBOC remains deeply concerned about the broader social impact of the continued impasse. The suspension of scholar transport affects learner safety, access to education and the wellbeing of children from humble homes who rely on school nutrition programmes for their daily survival.
On a grassroots level, parents and learners are already feeling the impact of the ongoing suspension. GLOBE POST notes that in areas such as Lawley and surrounding communities, many learners are now forced to walk long distances to schools in Ennerdale because no scholar transport is available. Parents say the situation is placing children at risk and causing many to arrive late or miss school altogether.
Zikhali said: “Our members are parents too. We understand what it means when a child misses school or a meal. That is why we are calling on the Department to resolve this crisis responsibly and without further delay.”
