IN CONVERSATION WITH MARCELLA NAIDOO
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Every school day, millions of South African children depend on scholar transport to get to and from school. For many parents and caregivers, this means placing their children's safety in the hands of a transport operator and driver. However, a series of tragic incidents involving scholar transport has raised concerns about the safety of these daily journeys. According to the information provided, more than 10% of road fatalities in South Africa involve children under the age of 14, highlighting the importance of ensuring that scholar transport vehicles meet the necessary safety standards.
One of the biggest concerns is whether transport operators and drivers are complying with the legal requirements. Drivers transporting learners must have a valid Professional Driving Permit (PrDP), while vehicles must have the necessary operating licences and valid roadworthy certificates. Parents and caregivers are also encouraged to check that vehicles are not overloaded, that every learner has an available seat and that safety features such as seatbelts, tyres, doors, windows, indicators and brake lights are in good working condition. Driver behaviour is equally important, as fatigue, speeding and cellphone use can place young passengers at serious risk.
Beyond the responsibility of drivers and transport operators, parents, government departments and other stakeholders all have a role to play in improving scholar transport safety. Parents need to be aware of what to look out for before allowing their children to use a transport service, while authorities must ensure that inspections and enforcement measures are carried out. Initiatives such as Discovery's Safe Journeys to School programme, in partnership with Afrika Tikkun, aim to improve safety through driver training, vehicle monitoring, health checks and ongoing driver assessments. The broader conversation is therefore about what practical steps can be taken to protect learners and ensure that getting to and from school does not put their lives at risk.
One of the biggest concerns is whether transport operators and drivers are complying with the legal requirements. Drivers transporting learners must have a valid Professional Driving Permit (PrDP), while vehicles must have the necessary operating licences and valid roadworthy certificates. Parents and caregivers are also encouraged to check that vehicles are not overloaded, that every learner has an available seat and that safety features such as seatbelts, tyres, doors, windows, indicators and brake lights are in good working condition. Driver behaviour is equally important, as fatigue, speeding and cellphone use can place young passengers at serious risk.
Beyond the responsibility of drivers and transport operators, parents, government departments and other stakeholders all have a role to play in improving scholar transport safety. Parents need to be aware of what to look out for before allowing their children to use a transport service, while authorities must ensure that inspections and enforcement measures are carried out. Initiatives such as Discovery's Safe Journeys to School programme, in partnership with Afrika Tikkun, aim to improve safety through driver training, vehicle monitoring, health checks and ongoing driver assessments. The broader conversation is therefore about what practical steps can be taken to protect learners and ensure that getting to and from school does not put their lives at risk.
