Public scholar transport services in Gauteng will resume in phases from Thursday, with full operations expected on Monday 16 February, following a breakthrough in negotiations between the Gauteng department of education (GDE) and transport service providers.
Education MEC Matome Chiloane confirmed on Tuesday that the department had resolved the impasse that led to the suspension of services from last Monday, 2 February.
The strike affected about 238 000 pupils who rely on approximately 3 000 buses operated by 250 contracted service providers.
Phased return from Thursday
Chiloane said providers with the necessary capacity would begin transporting pupils from Thursday, while others may resume on Friday.
“Full operations will be resumed and I’m confident that we are going to pay them. They will be paid by the end of the week,” he said.
He said that some operators required time to service vehicles and return buses that had been moved out of operating areas due to concerns about vandalism.
“They’ve requested a minimum of a day. So we can anticipate some beginning operations on Thursday, some on Friday, but definitely Monday is full operation for everyone,” said Chiloane.
Communication about the phased return will take place directly between service providers and the schools they serve.
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November payments to be settled
At the centre of the dispute were outstanding payments. Service providers initially claimed they were owed three months. Chiloane said this assertion was incorrect.
“We owed them two months at the time, which were November and December,” he said.
The department has already paid December’s invoices.
Chiloane committed to settling November’s payment before the end of the week.
“We just came out of a meeting with the Premier and we managed to agree that this is what we’re going to be doing. So, they will be paid by the end of the week,” he said.
He added that the payment would “unlock them to begin to deliver on the services”.
Pupils transported safely, says MEC
Despite the recent disruption, Chiloane maintained that the province’s scholar transport system has largely operated safely.
He added that there had not been many major incidents involving public scholar transport buses in recent years.
“They really, really try to adhere to that one,” he said, referring to compliance with safety standards.
Budget pressures and grant shortfall
Chiloane said scholar transport remains under severe financial strain.
While the national grant allocation stands at about R1.1 billion, the province spends between R1.8 billion and R1.9 billion to meet demand.
“That’s why we’re sitting at around 238 000 students that are transported through our public transport,” he said, citing rapid population growth and the expansion of informal settlements.
He warned that budget cuts, including a projected R300 million reduction in the new financial year, will worsen cash flow challenges.
“The reason for non-payment is cash flow. Budget cuts have affected us greatly,” he said.
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Apology to parents and pupils
Chiloane apologised to affected families and acknowledged community frustration.
“I want to really apologise to the public, especially the learners who are affected and the parents.
“This is not a situation that we would want as a department,” he said.
The MEC said the department’s curriculum branch had already begun preparing catch-up plans for pupils who lost two weeks of schooling due to the strike.
“We will support them. They will catch up on the loss of time,” he said.
1 000 students still awaiting placement
Chiloane also addressed ongoing placement challenges in the province, revealing that about 1 000 pupils are still awaiting placement in schools.
“The delay is the acquisition of the mobile classrooms.
“In the interim, we have begun to move these learners into temporary spaces up until we get these classrooms into the school, fully complying, meeting the norms and standards,” he added.
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