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WENDY MOTHATA |
THE Democratic Alliance (DA) in North West will write to the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) of Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari, requesting that he do an urgent unannounced provincial audit of scholar transport contracts.
The DA said the audit should verify the pick-up and drop-off times of children daily.
“The audit must include the actual number of scholar transporters operating in the North West province, a thorough condition assessment of each vehicle, and verify the number of passengers pertrip. The audit should also verify the pick-up and drop-off times of children daily.”
According to the DA, there are growing concerns about the buses’ roadworthiness and safety issues.
Growing concerns about the buses’roadworthiness, safety and reliability surfaced following an oversight by members of the North West Provincial Legislature regarding the 2022 school readiness and state of scholar transport around the province,” said the DA.
“Allegedly some of these transporters overload the busses, forcing children to stand throughout the trip. Some buses frequently break down, ending up with children arriving late or not making it to school at all. Parents are often forced to pay up to R50 per trip to get their children to school safely.”
Lehari previously indicated that the Department had hired Monitors to check the trips.
However, the party said Based on their observations, the Monitors do not exist. “If they do, they are bribed or are sleeping on the job.”
The DA said that the condition of the buses poses a threat to the lives of the children, inhibits learners access to education and degrades learners’ human dignity
“Following the audit and its findings, MEC Lehari must revoke the contracts of all the transporters who do not comply. The condition of these buses poses a severe threat to the lives of the children, inhibits learners access to education and degrades their human dignity,” the party said.
The party added that if the North West Scholar Transport department fails to do the provincial audit it will report the matter to the Human Rights Commission.
“Failure to urgently do this provincial audit will leave the DA no choice but to report the matter to the Human Rights Commission to do the audit. The safety of our children must be a high priority, and we must take action to restore the dignity of our children. Anything that hampers effective teaching and learning from taking place, the DA will fight tooth and nail.”
–Inside Education