The North West province is getting tough on scholar transport operators who do not operate within the law.
Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi has outlined measures to monitor scholar transport operators to improve safety on the roads for thousands of pupils who use this mode of transport to and from schools in the province.
Delivering his State of the Province Address on Thursday, Mokgosi emphasised recent audits, service delivery initiatives, and enhanced measures to ensure pupils arrive at schools safely, especially those who live in rural and farming areas, who have missed school because of unreliable transport.
He announced measures, including a contracting panel of operators to provide backup transport and stricter enforcement of service-level agreements with transport providers.
“A panel for scholar transport has been appointed to be called at any moment should there be a need for troubleshooting in areas where there is a non-compliance. If you don’t comply, if you are not taking your transport for inspection, if it is unroadworthy, you have to be terminated, and therefore we have a database for the replacement of such terminations,” the premier said.
The Premier said these interventions were designed to prevent further disruptions and ensure pupils can access education consistently.
“There have been over 100 operators who have been terminated for failure to comply with the service level agreement. Non-compliance with our service level agreement: you are terminated.
“There are regular meetings chaired by the heads of department of Cosatama and education to ensure that there is seamless operation without disrupting teaching and learning. As we do the above, we must never compromise the learning of our children,” he said.
To further improve the safety and ensure operators abide by road rules, the government will continue to conduct of these vehicles every six months.
“In January and in July, when schools reopen, all our scholar transport service providers will be compelled to take their buses for inspection, and if you don’t go for inspection, your contract will be terminated.”
Mokgosi sent a stern warning. “I want that message to be very clear: if your bus is not taken for inspection, and you choose not to take it for inspection, your contract will be terminated.
This is to ensure that buses that are used for scholar transport remain in a good state of repair and their operators comply with their service level agreements.”
He said traffic enforcement officers would continue to monitor scholar transport on a daily basis to ensure that buses that transport pupils are roadworthy.
“We expect our traffic officers to regularly target buses that are transporting learners. A panel for scholar transport has been appointed to be called at any moment should there be a need for troubleshooting in areas where there is a non-compliance,” he said.
In a recent incident on February 17, a school bus carrying 71 pupils overturned near Coligny in North West, leaving 31 pupils injured.
Mokgosi, meanwhile, reported that the 2025/2026 audit cycle had produced measurable improvements compared with previous years.
“Municipalities are closest to our people. Section 153 of the Constitution mandates them to promote social and economic development. Nine of eleven provincial departments received unqualified and clean audits in the last audit cycle,” he said.
He also confirmed that all senior managers have complied with financial disclosure requirements and that members of the Executive Council have signed performance agreements.
If sustained, these improvements would reinforce governance, restore public confidence, and support the delivery of basic services across the province, he added.
