The North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management has put aside more than R1 billion for transport operations. When presenting the R2.4 billion budget for the 2025/2026 financial year at the provincial legislature in Mahikeng, MEC Wessels Morweng said half of that budget will be allocated to transport operations.
This follows instances where some buses were involved in accidents, and unroadworthy buses were used to ferry learners to schools.
Thereve also been reports of learners being stranded as unpaid service providers refused to send buses to ferry them. The portfolio committee on community safety and transport management in the North West believes that modernised systems should be at the heart of this budget vote to deal with challenges facing scholar transport in the province.
"Youll remember honourable members that there were a number of complaints, marches, as well and tools down by service providers who are rendering services on scholar transport against slow payment of their services after they have delivered services. Therefore, the committee engaged on that matter and wanted to understand as to when will the department invoke what is called an electronic invoice system and whether that system will be able to become transparent enough in a sense that suppliers as well as members will have real time to track payments and check how payments are being processed," explains Freddy Sonakile, Chairperson: NW Community Safety Transport Portfolio Committee.
Members of the opposition say persistent failure of the department has resulted in unsafe and unreliable transport, failure of service providers to meet obligations and a negative impact on learners education.