KETO, a scholar transport organisation, meets parents

The Kathorus Education Transport Organisation (KETO) recently held a meeting with parents and other stakeholders.

The purpose was to embark on an awareness campaign about the safety of children, and other discussions focused on KETO’s service and getting clarity on the December payment.

The meeting was held at Palm Ridge Hall, Katlehong, on March 4. School principals, the SGB, the EMPD, the SAPS, CPF, Sanco, political representatives and various NPOs attended.

The chairperson of KETO Palm Ridge, Busisiwe Selahlwa, said KETO is conducting an awareness campaign for parents and schools to inform them about the service they render.

She said KETO is a registered entity known to the Department of Roads and Transport, which conducts its elections.

“We want to make parents aware that they must ensure children use vehicles registered under an association because of child trafficking and operators who buy cars and decide to transport children,” said Selahlwa.

She said some of the operators are young people who impregnate the children.

“They do not take them to school. Instead, they leave them for the last drop-off but never take them to school. They take them to parks and introduce them to drugs.

“We are not afraid of law enforcement coming on board because we also have a problem, and we hope they can assist us.

“We are a registered association. Before we allow a person to be a member, we screen them, and we take our operators for induction to workshops. The Road Accident Fund provides our operators with driving training,” she added.

She said they have a problem with unregistered people transporting the children without an association or permit.

“If something happens to a child or there is an accident, we are labelled as scholar transport, while we are not all registered. Some of them are fly-by-nighters.”

She said she is concerned with the quality of the roads because they must comply with the operating licence, disk and renewals licences.

“But the government is not complying with the required status of roads. In some parts, there are no roads, and when we drive on the gravel on the side of the road, it affects our time and tyres.”

KETO treasurer David Mpofu said their duty is to pick up children from the gate and drop them off at the school to ensure their safety. Operators are not supposed to drop children at the shops across from the school or on the corner from the school.

He urged parents to have the operators’ contact details, to know the operators’ full names, and to communicate with the operators.

“This is a challenge because we are unable to help children when they are lost. When you transport them, they only know umalume (uncle), and it is difficult for us to help them get home,” said Mpofu.

Law enforcement officials reassured the parents and the association that they would help keep children safe by working with the CPF.

Richard Rodriguez, an EMPD inspector, said they are tired of accidents that involve scholar transport.

He said operators must ensure that their cars are roadworthy and their tyres in good condition because the rain has badly affected the road.

“Operators must have valid driver’s licences, operator’s cards and a professional driver’s permit (PDP),” said Rodriguez.

He said the EMPD would impound vehicles that are not roadworthy. He asked the operators not to fight with officials when they conduct their duties.

“We are impounding these vehicles for a reason. They are not compliant. We move them out of the road for the safety of our children.”

He further advised the operators to report EMPD officials seen taking bribes from motorists and unauthorised scholar transport operators.

Concerns for the parents were the December payment and the collection of learners who are released later than others because of extra classes and school trips, among other things.

Parents are expected to pay the full amount throughout the year, even during school holidays, including December, when the children go to school for a few days before recess.

Responding to questions, Selahlwa noted that it is the parent’s responsibility to arrange alternative transport for their children when they have activities that might cause them to leave late.

She said the association’s members work until 15:00, and they can’t wait for one learner until 17:00 because it inconveniences the other learners.

However, parents can ask the same driver to fetch their child later for an extra fee.

On the matter of payment, Selahlwa assured the parents do not pay for the operators’ bonuses in December, and she broke down the payment method.

She explained that parents only pay, for example, R32 a day which depends on the distance for the 199 days that learners attend school based on the academic calendar.

“We avoid having fluctuating amounts because it will be inconsistent with the parents’ budget, and we also need a steady income.”