Private Drivers Step In As Ekurhuleni Bus Strike Leaves Students Stranded

When buses across the Ekurhuleni metro abruptly stopped running this week, thousands of learners were left standing on pavements with no way to get to school. In a moment that spoke directly to the spirit of township solidarity, private scholar transport drivers decided to step in and fill the gap.

Community Steps Up When Buses Don’t

The Benoni Educational Scholar Transport Organisation confirmed that many of its drivers have been giving students free lifts to and from school. The strike hit communities in Benoni, Daveyton, Etwatwa and Springs, where families are already stretched thin and safe transport options are limited.

Chairperson John Chauke said drivers couldn’t just watch children struggle. He explained that many of these schools are located in high risk areas, and that leaving learners unattended was simply not an option.

As he put it, the situation was heartbreaking. Many parents sent their children off expecting buses, only for the learners to find out at the roadside that the drivers claimed they had no diesel and could not operate.

A Personal Mission To Keep Children Safe

Chauke said the decision to help came at a financial cost. Because the students were expecting free transport from the buses, his drivers felt it would be unfair to charge them. That means fuel costs are coming out of their own pockets.

He admitted that the team is facing one challenge: overloading. With more students needing lifts than the drivers normally carry, they are trying to manage the pressure without turning anyone away. Safety remains their biggest concern, especially for primary school learners.

A Window Into Daily Reality For Township Families

The strike has highlighted a long standing reality across many Gauteng communities. Public transport disruptions, even temporary ones, have an immediate impact on children who rely on buses to get to school safely.

Local parents have expressed gratitude, saying private drivers are doing the work that should not fall on their shoulders in the first place. For many families, education is seen as the path out of hardship, and missing school feels like a setback they cannot afford.

A Temporary Fix For A Bigger Problem

While the private drivers’ intervention has kept learners moving for now, Chauke emphasised that this is not sustainable. His organisation hopes the bus operators and authorities can resolve the strike quickly, because the responsibility is weighing heavily on the drivers who stepped in out of sheer community duty.

For now, though, parents in Ekurhuleni know one thing. In moments of crisis, ordinary residents are still willing to show extraordinary compassion.

{Source:EWN}

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