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Limpopo impounds 25 unsafe scholar transport vehicles amid safety crackdown
As learners across Limpopo settle back into the school routine, provincial authorities have sent a clear message to scholar transport operators: safety is not optional.
In a series of targeted enforcement operations this January, the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety impounded 25 unroadworthy vehicles used to ferry pupils to and from school. The seizures included buses, taxis, minibuses, and other vehicles that failed to meet basic legal and safety requirements.
A focused operation in Thabazimbi
The most recent enforcement drive took place in the Thabazimbi CBD on January 27 as part of the department’s Safer Back to School campaign. According to departmental spokesperson Matome Taueatsoala, 12 officers inspected 86 vehicles during the operation.
The inspections covered two buses, 75 taxis, and seven SUVs. Thirteen summonses were issued for offences ranging from permit violations to Professional Driving Permit infractions. By the end of the operation, 10 vehicles had been impounded, including two buses, five taxis, and three SUVs.
For many parents in the area, the visible presence of officers was reassuring. Social media posts following the operation reflected a mix of relief and frustration, with some welcoming tougher enforcement while others questioned why unsafe vehicles were allowed to operate in the first place.
More vehicles seized in Capricorn district
The crackdown did not stop in Thabazimbi. In a separate operation in the Capricorn district at Seleteng Ramphele in the Mphahlele area, officials impounded a further 15 vehicles. These included four buses, four minibuses, two light delivery vehicles or bakkies, and five seven-seater vehicles.
Taueatsoala said the continued enforcement was meant to reinforce compliance across the scholar transport sector and underline the department’s commitment to learner safety.
The department has again urged operators to regularise their operations and ensure vehicles are roadworthy before transporting children.
A pattern of non-compliance
This is not the first time Limpopo authorities have taken action this year. Earlier operations in Ladanna, Polokwane, led to the impoundment of 11 scholar transport vehicles found to be operating outside the law. Offences included non-compliance with permit conditions, poor roadworthiness, and breaches of safety regulations specific to learner transport.
According to the department, such conduct places children’s lives at serious risk and undermines government efforts to protect learners on the road.
Why enforcement feels urgent right now
The timing of the Limpopo operations has struck a nerve nationally. South Africa is still reeling from the devastating crash in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, where 14 pupils were killed when a scholar transport vehicle collided with a truck on January 19.
The driver involved, 22-year-old Ayanda Dludla, has appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on 14 counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder. He has abandoned his bail application and is expected back in court on March 5.
That tragedy has intensified public scrutiny of scholar transport safety, with many parents demanding stricter checks and harsher consequences for operators who ignore the law.
Learner safety as a non-negotiable priority
Taueatsoala has made it clear that Limpopo authorities will not tolerate lawlessness in the scholar transport sector. Operators who flout regulations can expect vehicle impoundment, fines, and possible criminal prosecution.
As schools remain open and traffic volumes increase, the department’s message is simple: getting children to school safely matters more than convenience or profit.
For parents, the hope is that sustained enforcement will lead to lasting change rather than short-term compliance.
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: Facebook/Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety
