Scholar Transport Operators Demand Action on Licensing Delays

Frustration over long-standing operating licence delays boiled over this week as more than 500 scholar transport operators converged at the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport head office, demanding urgent clarity and solutions to challenges threatening the sustainability of the sector and the safety of learners.

According to a media statement issued by the department, the engagement highlighted the urgency of resolving licensing backlogs that have prevented many operators from formalising their businesses and operating sustainably within the industry.

During the engagement, more than 1 000 operating licence application forms were issued to prospective applicants. The forms were distributed alongside a detailed list of compliance requirements for those seeking to operate in the scholar transport sector.

These requirements include a certified copy of a valid driver’s licence and Professional Driving Permit (PrDP), a valid police clearance certificate, a certified copy of the vehicle registration certificate (CoR), and a certified copy of a roadworthy certificate (CoF), among others.

MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela reiterated that compliance is non-negotiable, stressing that scholar transport is a safety-critical service. She emphasised that the safety and dignity of learners must always remain paramount.

The engagement comes as the country continues to mourn the tragic loss of 14 learners who died in a scholar transport accident in Vanderbijlpark, an incident that has intensified scrutiny of safety standards in the sector.

The department has further urged parents, guardians and community members to report reckless driving or unsafe scholar transport vehicles to the Gauteng Traffic Inspectorate, as part of broader efforts to improve learner safety on the province’s roads.