SCHOLAR TRANSPORTATION: School transport crisis puts 71,000 Western Cape learners at risk as fuel costs soar

A one-day school bus operator strike on Tuesday over soaring fuel prices has left thousands of Western Cape learners facing an uncertain route to school. Operations have temporarily resumed pending provincial feedback, with rural families bearing the brunt of further disruptions.

An estimated 71,000 learners could be affected if a dispute over rising fuel costs between the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) and school transport operators is not resolved on Friday.

Already on Tuesday, almost 22,000 kids were affected during a day of strike action that began because operators wanted the department to review their existing contracts to account for increased fuel costs. This figure was provided by the WCED.

The strike was called off pending the outcome of a meeting on Friday between the SA National Small Bus Operators Council in the Western Cape and WCED.

The disruption comes at a particularly difficult time for learners. Revision, assessments and preparations for examinations dominate the final term. For matrics, who begin writing final examinations from Tuesday next week, every school day matters.

While rising fuel prices are placing pressure on learner transport operators nationally, there have been no confirmed reports of a coordinated nationwide shutdown or fresh protest action in other provinces this week.

Western Cape operators want a review of their existing contracts to account for increased fuel costs, arguing that continuing to transport learners under the current arrangements is no longer viable.

Diesel prices rose from R17.69 a litre in January to R31.80 a litre on Wednesday, making diesel 80% more expensive than in January.

“We are deeply sorry. We want to keep transporting your children. But we cannot continue operating indefinitely at a financial loss while fuel and other operating costs continue to rise,” the SA National Small Bus Operators Council in the Western Cape said in a statement.

“The situation has not come overnight. SANSBOC-WC has repeatedly engaged with WCED and the relevant government structures regarding the extraordinary increase in diesel and the urgent need for relief,” said the council statement.

The council declined to comment further when contacted by EdDesk, saying it would only respond after Friday’s meeting.

WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond told EdDesk that any proposal with significant budget implications required careful consideration and due process, with feedback to be provided on Friday.

She said the department spent R698-million a year transporting more than 71,000 learners each school day.

About 700,000 learners qualify for government-subsidised national learner transport , with only 655,879 receiving it, according to the Department of Transport.