The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) provides transport for learners from poor communities who live more than five kilometres from their nearest school, and where public transport is not available.

The Learner Transport Scheme (LTS) is designed to ensure access to education for poor learners, mainly in rural areas.

The WCED invests about R120-million a year in the scheme, which provides transport for about 55 000 learners using 1 200 buses every school day. The scheme involves about 450 contracts.

The scheme does not include transport arranged privately by schools and others for school outings. However, contractors must meet the stringent requirements of road traffic ordinances and regulations to ensure passenger safety.

The WCED overhauled the LTS about two years ago to ensure high safety standards and greater operational efficiency. Safety measures include the following:

• Every contractor must submit roadworthy certificates in their tender documents for specific vehicles, and may not use alternative vehicles when providing transport.

• The WCED double checks the roadworthy certificates of all vehicles listed in tender applications with the traffic department.

• If the WCED finds that a contractor is using a vehicle that has not been approved, then the department cancels the contract and reissues the tender for the particular route.

• While road traffic regulations require transport suppliers to renew roadworthy certificates every 12 months, the WCED requires contractors to provide new roadworthy certificates every six months.

• While the Traffic Department is responsible for implementing road traffic regulations, the WCED works closely with the department to ensure that buses are safe.

• School principals must report any vehicle used by the LTS that appears to be unroadworthy to the WCED.

• Officials from the WCED’s Education Management and Development Centres (EMDCs) visit schools to conduct spot checks of vehicles.

• The WCED has an arrangement with the Traffic Department to pull school buses from the road for inspection. The Traffic Department sets up roadblocks regularly to inspect school buses.

• The WCED meets the Traffic Department regularly to plan inspections on our various routes throughout the province.

• A team of WCED inspectors based at our Metropole East EMDC travel with road traffic inspectors to different parts of the Western Cape to carry out spot checks.

We have received allegations of irregularities in the scheme, and we are already investigating. Our policy on irregularities is absolutely zero tolerance.

We cannot afford to compromise on bus safety. We therefore welcome information on any alleged irregularity and will investigate these fully in conjunction with the relevant authorities.