Ahead of the School Bell: KZN Fails 63 Scholar Transport Vehicles in Safety Blitz

As KwaZulu-Natal prepares for the return of thousands of learners to classrooms, a provincial safety crackdown has revealed alarming gaps in the very system meant to protect them. Inspections led by the Department of Transport have found 63 scholar transport vehicles to be unroadworthy, raising serious concerns just days before schools reopen.

The blitz, conducted by the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) and Operation Shanela over the weekend, targeted the fleet that transports roughly 77,000 pupils across nearly 400 schools. Out of 198 vehicles inspected (143 buses, 48 minibuses, and 7 smaller vehicles), the 63 failures included 43 buses, 18 minibuses, and 2 smaller vehicles.

“Our Main Focus is Learner Safety”

MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, stated the objective was unequivocal: “Our main focus is to ensure the safety” of pupils. Inspectors scrutinised critical components like tyres, brakes, seatbelts, suspension, and driver permits. The owners of the failed vehicles have been instructed to rectify all mechanical defects as per their contracts with the department.

Duma commended compliant operators but made it clear that the oversight would not end with the start of the academic term. “The inspection will proceed until the reopening of schools and beyond,” he warned, signalling that spot checks and a sustained law enforcement presence would continue.

Planned Reforms for a Safer Journey

Looking beyond the immediate crackdown, the department plans to introduce stricter reforms for the private scholar transport sector. Duma announced intentions to strengthen legislation, with clearer provisions for driver vetting, vehicle standards, and operational oversight once consultations are complete.

The high failure ratenearly one in three vehicles checkedunderscores a systemic vulnerability. While the immediate action prevents these specific vehicles from carrying children, it highlights the urgent need for consistent, enforced standards in an industry responsible for the daily safety of tens of thousands of young lives.

For parents, the news is a worrying reminder to verify the credentials of transport services. For the province, it is a call to transform a reactive inspection drive into a permanent culture of compliance, ensuring the journey to school is not a daily gamble with safety.