The Departments of Basic Education (DBE) and Transport are looking for ways to ensure safe scholar transport after recent budget cuts. This issue was addressed in a briefing to the Select Committee on Education, Sciences, and Creative Industries.
Currently, 667,000 students participate in the National Scholar Transport Programme, while 2.8 million depend on private scholar transport. The government aims to eventually include all learners in its subsidized transport system.
Committee Chairperson Makhi Feni stated, “The briefing we received primarily addressed the current budget shortage we are facing due to departmental budget cuts. There was also a brief overview of our previous situation, the factors that have contributed to our current challenges, and potential solutions to overcome these issues.”
