Scholar transports fail safety standards; thousands confiscated

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The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has expressed significant concern regarding the safety of scholar transport vehicles.

A substantial number of these vehicles have been observed in conditions that pose risks, potentially exposing schoolchildren to the dangers of crashes and injuries.

The organization emphasizes the necessity for improved standards and regulations to ensure the safety of these transport systems in order to protect young passengers.

A total of 1,324 scholar patrol vehicles were confiscated by law enforcement authorities during the first quarter of this year across the nation.

This significant number highlights ongoing efforts to regulate and monitor the use of these vehicles, emphasizing the importance of enforcement actions within the educational transportation sector.

The corporation, in collaboration with the department of transport, provincial departments, and municipalities, has identified scholar transport as a significant risk factor contributing to fatal crashes.

To address this concern, it underscores the necessity for intensified law enforcement operations as part of its winter road safety campaign, aiming to enhance safety measures and reduce incidents on the roads during this critical period.

“Unroadworthy scholar transport vehicles transporting learners without seatbelts and the overloading and illegal mode of transportation of learners raised a major safety risk.

Scholar transport violating existing traffic laws

“Statistics from law enforcement operations conducted in all provinces indicate that of the 6 120 scholar transport vehicles that were stopped and checked, 4 035 vehicles were found to have been operated in violation of existing traffic laws.  

“Many were also found to be operating without the necessary public transport permits, while others were driven by drivers who did not possess or failed to produce driving licenses and thirty-six drivers failed to produce their professional driving permits,” said RTMC. 

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According to the corporation, the worrying factor from these operations was the discovery that most transgressors were found to be between the ages of 18 and 35 years, followed by those who are aged between 35 and 45 years. 

The vehicles were found to have many defects relating to, among others, tyres, brakes, and rear stop lamps, and 155 vehicles were found to be unlicensed while 805 vehicles were fined for overloading.