By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has issued a stern warning to all unregistered scholar transport operators to comply with operating licensing regulations or face the full might of the law.
The warning come as the 2025 academic year will begin on Wednesday, 15 January 2025 with the reopening of schools across the country.
The department has issued a notice to all scholar transport operators, through their various associations, to ensure they operate legally and that vehicles are roadworthy.
“Our priority is to save lives in the learner transport system. Those scholar transport operators without operating licenses will not be allowed to ferry learners, and those who do can expect to face the harshest consequences,” Diale-Tlabela said in a statement on Sunday.
The MEC mentioned that traffic law enforcement officials will be conducting routine checks and “those found not to be compliant will face the full might of the law.”
Gauteng and other provinces around the country have witnessed a number of school transport accidents which claimed lives of learners and community members.
Last year, the MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, acknowledged the fundamental flaws in the scholar transport policy and committed to overhauling it.
Chiloane re-affirmed government’s commitment to enhance scholar transport safety following a series of concerning incidents in the province.