By: Natasha Archary

The issue of scholar transport has been one of concern for a number of parents in South Africa, and this was highlighted once more after three teenagers were rushed to hospital in Soweto, earlier this month.
This after the minibus they were traveling to school in crashed into a VW Polo, on League Road near the FNB Stadium.
Calls for the strict regulation of private scholar transport were made after this latest scholar transport collision in the province, with many parents lamenting that most vehicles used to transport learners are unroadworthy.
In February, one pupil was killed and 13 others were injured when a scholar transport vehicle overturned in Soweto.
Thomas and Skhumba discussed the issue of unsafe scholar transport with listeners, and while some parents say they will never use these services, others have no other option but to make use of transport services to take and fetch their kids from school.
Before choosing a scholar transport for your child/ren here are 5 important facts to consider:
- Currently, scholar transport is implemented by the Transport Departments in Mpumalanga, Northern Cape & the North West. The programme is implemented by the Department of Education in the Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, and Western Cape.
- Any person or organisation in SA that operates scholar transport, including a school, is required to have a license. Scholar transport is regarded in law as a form of public transport for which an operating license is applicable.
- Scholar transport refers to the transportation of a learner from home or nearby, to school and back. Transporting learners to school events such as sports fixtures or school tours is exempted from requiring a public operating license.
- Each province has its own Transportation Board that issues permits for public transport, including scholar transport.
- The Independent Schools Association of South Africa (ISASA) is not involved in issuing learner transport permits. Application forms for transport permits must be obtained from the provincial transport board.
Listen to the conversation on Kaya Drive:
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