What parents need to know about choosing legal scholar transport in South Africa.
Bulelwa Hoala
For many parents in Gauteng and across South Africa, scholar transport is a daily necessity to ensure that children are transported to and from school safely.
As a parent, that means you aren’t merely paying for your child’s transportation, but you are also trusting someone with your child’s life.
While accidents can occur, the recent tragic scholar transport accident that occurred in Vanderbijlpark, which claimed the lives of 14 learners, has reinforced the importance of choosing the right scholar transport for your child.
The government is also scrambling to formalise the scholar transport sector, with the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport working to resolve longstanding issues that have prevented operators from obtaining scholar transport operating licences.Â
For now, we have put together a guide with practical steps parents can follow to help them choose legal, safe, and reliable scholar transport for their children.
Legal transport
For an operator to legally transport children, they must have an operating licence registered with the Department of Transport or the local municipality. By law, they are required to have a Professional Driving Permit (PrDP), a valid driver’s licence with the correct code for the vehicle they are driving, a roadworthy certificate, and a valid licence disk. You can ask the transport operator to show you these documents to confirm. Transport operators must be tax compliant and, in many cases, provide a valid SARS tax clearance certificate.
Driver experience
Find out if the driver has a police clearance certificate; this is also a requirement when they apply for a scholar transport operating licence. Other key things to ask are how long the driver has been driving scholar transport for and whether they have ever been involved in a serious accident before.
Insurance
Transport operators are required to have a contract and public liability insurance. These ensure protection and accountability should anything happen to your child. They should also have clearly stipulated payment terms for fees.
Check the vehicle
Parents should not rely on pictures alone but ask to see the vehicle in person and inspect the scholar transport. Things you should look out for are a vehicle that is clearly marked with scholar transport signage, well-maintained and in good working condition (seatbelts, tyres, and lights), no overcrowding (each child must have their own seat), and cleanliness.
Safety
Young children should never cross roads alone. In this case, the scholar transport driver should be prepared to help or have an assistant available to do so. There should also be a clear plan as to what happens in the case of emergencies such as when the vehicle breaks down or gets into an accident.
Communication
There must be clear and open lines of communication between parents and transport operators. This includes a dedicated phone number you can contact or a WhatsApp group where updates and delays can be communicated regularly. There should also  clear rules regarding what happens when the driver is late or in the case of emergencies.
Word of mouth
Do your own research. Speak to other parents who are already using scholar transport and ask them for recommendations. Also, ask your child’s school for a list of approved transport operators. Watch out for any concerns regarding behaviour and punctuality.
If a transport operator refuses to show you their documents or the vehicle is in bad condition, don’t be afraid to walk away. No matter how low the fees may be. Remember that reliable scholar transport can offer you peace of mind and prevent any future tragedies.
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