A scholar transport dispute is brewing in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. The Mthatha Taxi Owners Association has issued a warning against the operation of private scholar or staff transport in the area, as of the 15th of January.

In a letter, the taxi association instructed parents to visit their nearest taxi ranks where they will be assisted with transport to ferry their children. The association is adamant that it is the job of its members and departmental supplied scholar transport, to ferry learners.

The South Africa National Taxi Council (SANTACO) says it will investigate.

The Mthatha taxi owners’ association issued the letter five days before the schools re-open. This has put a strain on parents in the area.

Parents demand that the safety of their children must come first.

“We are not okay with this because we knew our children were safe in vans. Vans do not drop children on the main road but at the gate. I stay far from the tar road, so my child won’t be able to go there, so I decided to enroll her in a nearby public school whereas she was studying in town,” says a concerned parent.

“The problem with taxis is that they do not pick up children on time because they have to work at the rank. There are children who are seven-years-old that will have to wait for a long time. Parents will panic when their children are not back on time. We know that vans wait for children outside school premises,” adds another parent.

E.Cape scholar transport challenges: Unathi Binqose:

The Mthatha taxi owners’ association has explained why it doesn’t want vans to ferry learners.

“This is our work as the taxi industry. We are registered, and we are an organisation. It is true that we are taking children, but we are not taking them by force. Our aim is that the government can provide them with scholar transport like other children. We are trying to assist parents here, so that the government can intervene because they are not working. You can be paying R600 while earning R2 000 how are you going to do groceries and pay for a private scholar transport? We want government to enforce that a vehicle that must operate is a vehicle with an operating license,” says Washington Nomvembe, Mthatha Taxi Owners Association Public Relations Officer.

SANTACO is also looking into the matter.

“The letters that are alleged that they are from our taxi association, that says vans are not allowed to carry learners, it’s something that we are going to investigate because up to now we know nothing about that. As I’m saying we will investigate that and promise that once we find out there is something like that we will intervene immediately,” says Mzwandile Nkewana, Provincial Convenor: SANTACO.

The Department of Transport in the province is also conducting voluntary roadworthy testing for the scholar transport operators.

More than 3000 vehicles have already been tested.