Scholar transport: ‘Parents are part of the problem’
Vehicles used for scholar transport that were impounded by officials saw some learners left stranded in the past two weeks, and parents fuming.
POLOKWANE – The operations by the Department of Transport were held at various schools in the city as according to departmental spokesperson Matome Moremi-Taueatsoala, no person may operate a road-based public transport service without an operating licence or a permit.
“Any person who transports learners for gain must obtain a public transport operating licence and an authorised officer who believes a vehicle is being used by any person for the operation of public transport without the necessary operating licence, permit or contrary to the conditions thereof, may impound the vehicle pending the investigation and prosecution of that person,” he said.
But parents have not taken lightly to this after some learners were left stranded far from home. An anonymous parent says that as much as she understands that officials are simply doing their jobs, they should try to assist the learners or give the driver an opportunity to get someone else to ferry the learners. “It is better if the vehicle is impounded when the learners are already at school because if this happens on the side of the road somewhere then the children are left stranded and some might attempt to walk home.”
She says that her daughter found herself in a similar situation on the way to school but the driver managed to arranged with a friend to take them to school. On the afternoon ride, the driver had not answered the phone or let the family know that the vehicle had been impounded, and the family will now make sure to obtain the services of a registered driver, she said.
“She walked home from Nirvana to Seshego and anything could have happened during this time. We were worried sick and we couldn’t get a hold of the driver. I think it is our responsibility as parents to make sure that those who drive our children are lawful at all times.”
She says the situation does sometimes pose a problem for parents, as most taxi bosses use the same operating licence but when approached, children are placed in a different vehicle than the one the parent saw, ‘and we just assume they all have proper documents’.
Another mother says she was surprised to hear that the taxi her son takes to school was impounded as the vehicle appeared to be brand new, just to later learn that children, after getting onto the taxis, are later taken to a central location where they are separated and loaded into taxis based on the schools they attend.
“So the taxi my son takes from home does not take him to school. He needs to get into another one and that one got impounded. This meant that he had to wait for the one he was originally in to drop off learners at another school before they were picked up and he was taken to school.”
Polokwane Observer spoke to a taxi operator who said most parents ‘do not really care about what vehicle their children get in, as long as they get to school’.
It is for this reason, he said, that they should not complain when vehicles are impounded. “You can clearly see the vehicle is overloaded, or that the door doesn’t close properly but instead of calling the driver out on it you just let him drive off.
“There are many lawful scholar transporters and approaching your local taxi association should get you one.”
Moremi-Taueatsoala says when applying for an operating licence, you need to complete an application form that can be acquired from the five district offices of the department.
