The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) calls for stricter enforcement and oversight – including ongoing, unannounced inspections by the provincial Department of Transport (DoT) – to address serious safety failures within the learner transport system.
This follows the recent tragic learner transport accident in Gauteng, as well as the fatal incident in Imbali last year, which once again highlight the deepening crisis in learner transport safety across South Africa.
While the DA welcomes decisive action by KZN’s DoT, including the recent suspension of 11 learner transport operators found to be unroadworthy, reactive measures taken after near-misses or fatalities are not enough.
According to information presented to the KZN Transport Portfolio Committee this week, the DoT conducts pre-school-opening technical and physical inspections of contracted learner transport vehicles. While these inspections are necessary, enforcement remains inconsistent, with checks often periodic rather than continuous and unannounced.
Crucially, no inspection regime can compensate for systemic policy failures. In KZN, the Learner Transport Programme (LTP) is governed by a provincial learner transport policy, the National Learner Transport Policy of 2015, and a Memorandum of Agreement between the Departments of Transport and Education. However, KZN’s learner transport policy remains a matter of dispute.
Alarmingly, KZN’s Department of Education (DoE) has, in response to parliamentary questions, previously admitted to the overloading of learners. This fundamentally dismantles the layers of safety designed to prevent fatalities and serious injuries and places children at unacceptable risk.
The LTP is also under severe financial strain. More than 157 000 KZN learners remain on waiting lists due to budget constraints, forcing many children to walk long distances or rely on unsafe, informal transport. Despite this, the DoE has refused to review or reform the policy framework, even as it continues to drive unsustainable costs and operational pressure.
The DA, as a partner within KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), will continue to advocate for a safer, properly funded and policy-driven learner transport system. Our children’s lives cannot be balanced against budgets, bureaucracy or policy stubbornness – their safety must remain a non-negotiable priority.