MAHIKENG MAIL - MAHIKENG - The North West structure of the South African National Small Bus Operators Council (SANSBOC) has raised displeasure on how the Provincial Department of Transport and Safety Management is manning the current scholar transport contracts and has called on MEC Wessels Morweng to intervene.
Issuing their condolences to family and relatives of a learner who lost their life on a scholar bus in Khunotswana, SANSBOC indicated that not only was the transport of scholars becoming a risky venture, but it was also becoming a tool to destroy emerging entrepreneurs in the province.
The main concern was the fact that many months after the contracts were awarded many operators are still without service level agreements, whilst others having gone over three months without being paid.
The appointments themselves are full of discrepancies with many operators having been appointed without having brought the busses for pre-roadworthy testing which was pre-requisite of their contracts.
They also raised the issue of rates which had been reduced unilaterally, an appointment criteria which allowed people without busses (over owners and experienced operators) to lease busses to those unfairly excluded in the tender. There is also a new tendency of fronting for officials and politicians in scholar transport which causes tension both within government and between learner transport operators.
The chairperson of SANSBOC in the province who is also the National Secretary General, Mr. Final Kgodumo, confirmed the concerns raised and some of the operators reported their concerns to Mafikeng Mail. “It is very frustrating that year after year, tender after tender we experience the same problems.
“We have had many meetings where we were promised that scholar operator concerns are being addressed but no real action has been taken,” said Kgodumo.
According to Kgodumo, operators feel vulnerable and are starting to lose confidence in the empowerment processes of government. He said things are getting worse, but there is hope that MEC Morweng and Premier Mokgosi will intervene against the unfair treatment they receive. One of the problems raised was the total neglect of safety by the government in relation to scholar transport. Kgodumo indicated that awarding the contracts and inspecting the busses is not enough. “There is a need to properly induct and train operators and drivers on issues of statutory and safety compliance. In all these years of scholar operation, no training has ever been initiated or funded by the department and as a result problems are escalating with safety of learners being compromised,” he said.
The last training of learner transport operators in the province was initiated by SANSBOC and funded through TETA. The focus was “Making every journey to school a safe one” bringing together all the stakeholders to sign a pledge to adhere to safety standards.
“We are in the process of seeking audience with MEC Morweng and Premier Mokgosi and we are confident that they will address all the issues related to scholar transport, including irregularities, safety and empowerment processes for emerging bus operators,” said Kgodumo. It is also understood that the matter has been brought to the attention of the National Department of Transport to ensure that small bus operators are incorporated in the public transport subsidy contracts currently being run by big operators such as Atamelang, Thari, Bojanala bus service and Phumatra.
