With the start of the new school year, the City’s Traffic officers will keep a close eye on scholar transport vehicles, to ensure compliance and the safety of their young passengers.

‘Back to school is an exciting and often daunting time for both learners and parents. Many do not have the luxury of dropping their children personally, and rely on the services of public transport operators and those who provide dedicated scholar transport. Often, children spend a large part of their day in transit, and we have a duty to ensure that they get to school and home safely. Parents, schools, vehicle owners and drivers should work together in this regard,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

In terms of legislation, vehicles that are used to transport school children should:

• not be older than 12 years
• be registered and licensed in the Western Cape
• have a special ‘vehicle fitness’ certificate and undergo roadworthy testing every six months
• be fitted with a seatbelt for every passenger, and a car seat for each child younger than three

‘Parents should check the credentials of scholar transport operators to make sure that they abide by all of the requirements, but also that their vehicles are indeed fit for the purpose. It’s a sad reality that many parents make transport decisions based on the availability of service providers, or price and while these are very valid considerations, we ask that you please also check the credentials of transport operators before signing up,’ added Alderman Smith.

The City’s Traffic Service, and its Transport Enforcement Unit (TEU) in particular, dedicate as many resources as possible to the monitoring of scholar and public transport vehicles.

National legislation allows the TEU to impound the vehicle of any public transport operator found without an operating license or if it operates in violation of that license.

Since 2015 the TEU visited 136 schools,  issued 10 414 fines and impounded 416 scholar transport vehicles. Last year the unit impounded 18 taxis and issued more than 490 fines for transgressions of the National Land Transportation Act.

The City requests residents and motorists who are aware of any transgression to report the matter to the Provincial Regulatory Entity at the Shadow Centre in Athlone.

Residents can also report it via the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre by dialling 021 480 7700 from a cell phone or 107 from a landline.

Source: City Of Cape Town