Question NW2360 to the Minister of Transport
10 December 2021 - NW2360
Thembekwayo, Dr S to ask the Minister of Transport
What steps will his department take to mitigate the increasing incidents of the overloading of learners on small taxis and bakkies operating as scholar transport, which result in injury and death in the case of accidents?
Reply:
The National Learner Transport Policy of 2015, National Land Transport Act of 2009 and National Road Traffic Act of 1993 regulate and manage the safety of learner transport services.
The Road Traffic Management Cooperation (RTMC) is empowered by the Act, to act on public transport operators who disregard the provisions of the Road Traffic Act and compromise the safety of passengers and other road users. Overloading of passengers is strictly forbidden and different punitive measures are being exercised to ensure compliance with the Act.
Regulation 250 of the National Road Traffic Act of 1993 provides that no person shall on a public road convey school children in the goods compartment of a motor vehicle for reward.
The Department together with the Road Traffic Management Cooperation (RTMC) and provinces will continue to strengthen the enforcement of the Act and its regulations to ensure zero tolerance to these violations.