Gauteng scholar transport drivers claim financial strain forces overloading

Some scholar transport drivers in Gauteng say they have no choice but to overload their vehicles to make ends meet.

On Wednesday, the Benoni Educational Scholar Transport Organisation, east of Johannesburg, told the media that many parents fail to honour their monthly payments, forcing operators to find other ways to meet financial targets.

This comes after a horrific scholar transport crash in Vanderbijlpark claimed the lives of 14 learners, shining a spotlight on the shortcomings of the industry.

Organisation Chairperson John Chauke stated: "In a scholar transport, even if you have 15 clients, you will never see them all pay. The money comes in dribs and drabs, sometimes one of them says they don't have money they will pay next month, others don't pay at all but they expect you to fetch their children."

He added that some of their members have had to step in and accommodate stranded learners as a result of a recent strike by bus drivers contracted to the Department of Education.