Gauteng Tightens Scholar Transport Compliance, Urges Operators to Meet Safety Standards

Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela has outlined clear responsibilities that scholar transport operators must fulfil to legally operate in the province, stressing that learner safety cannot be compromised under any circumstances.

Addressing the Provincial Scholar Transport Stakeholder Engagement Meeting at Johannesburg City Hall on Sunday, the MEC said operators must complete key compliance steps before their applications for operating licences can be finalised.

Mandatory Agreements and Roadworthy Vehicles

Diale-Tlabela said scholar transport operators are required to enter into formal agreements with parents, including signed indemnity forms that clearly assign responsibility for transporting learners.

Vehicles used for scholar transport must also be fully roadworthy.

Operators are further required to obtain endorsement letters from School Governing Bodies (SGBs) or school principals, confirming that they transport learners from those institutions. She added that the Department of Roads and Transport is working closely with the Gauteng Department of Education to facilitate this process.

Stakeholder Engagement on Learner Safety

The engagement meeting brought together scholar transport operators, industry stakeholders and government representatives, serving as a platform to strengthen cooperation on learner safety, improve compliance enforcement and address operational challenges faced across the province.

The MEC emphasised that government remains committed to supporting operators to regularise their businesses.

Reduced Vehicle Testing Fees to Support Compliance

Diale-Tlabela said the department has engaged private Vehicle Testing Stations (VTS) across Gauteng and successfully negotiated reduced testing fees to make compliance more affordable.

"There is no excuse for transporting children in unroadworthy vehicles," she said.

"As the Department of Roads and Transport, our responsibility is to assist operators and ensure they operate within the law. But we must meet each other halfway."

Strong Uptake, But Slow Completion of Applications

Since the department intensified its compliance drive last year, more than 1,500 scholar transport operators have applied for operating licences.

• Over 500 licences have already been issued

• 1,009 applications are currently at the finalisation stage

Some applications remain pending due to outstanding municipal concurrence, incomplete documentation, or changes in applicants' contact details.

The MEC expressed concern that while interest in compliance is growing, follow-through remains weak. In the past two weeks alone, more than 600 application forms were collected from departmental offices, but only 54 completed forms were returned.

Call to Operators: Seek Help, Complete the Process

Diale-Tlabela urged operators who are struggling with the application process to return to the department for assistance.

"If you are struggling with the process, come back to us. Our doors are open. But we cannot finalise your operating licence without the required documents," she said.

Reiterating the government's stance, the MEC concluded that learner safety remains non-negotiable, and full compliance is essential to protect children and ensure a safe, reliable scholar transport system in Gauteng.