Gauteng scholar transport operators demand talks with MEC following compliance crackdown

Scholar transport operators in Gauteng are expected to meet with Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela on Saturday.

Operators marched to her office on Friday with a memorandum outlining their demands. Scholar transport operators have accused the Department of Roads and Transport of unfairly targeting them following the rollout of a stricter compliance campaign.

The protesters from various associations in Gauteng say compliance measures were only implemented after a tragic crash that claimed the lives of 14 children while they were travelling in a scholar transport vehicle.

Operators argue that the requirements are difficult and costly to meet.

The protest on Friday followed a cancelled meeting that was planned for Sunday last week between the transport operators and the MEC. The meeting could not proceed because the venue was too small to accommodate the large number of people who had arrived. It has now been moved to a bigger venue in Soweto for today.

The operators say they are being unfairly punished for the accident in Vanderbijlpark.

John Chauke, speaking on behalf of the association, stated:

"That accident is punishing all the scholar transport operators in South Africa. Why do you say that? Because we had an accident on our side on the N12, four kids were killed, and the transport involved was the government scholar transport, and they didn’t do what they are doing now."

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has ramped up its compliance campaign, impounding vehicles that are not roadworthy and overloaded, and demanding stricter adherence to regulations—something the industry is unhappy about.

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