Pupils may be left stranded at the beginning of the new school year on 19 January, DA Shadow MEC for Transport Marshall von Buchenroder has warned, as the Eastern Cape Department of Transport announced it had received 1 183 tenders for the Scholar Transport bid.
Pupils may be left stranded at the beginning of the new school year on 19 January, DA Shadow MEC for Transport Marshall von Buchenroder has warned, as the Eastern Cape Department of Transport announced it had received 1 183 tenders for the Scholar Transport bid.
The bid closed on 31 December, according to Transport MEC Weziwe Tikana.
In a media release this week, Von Buchenroder said that of 96 693 pupils needing school transport this year, the Eastern Cape government had budgeted for only 57 176. He also claimed the department had not followed proper tender procedures.
In the statement issued on Wednesday 7 January, he said, media reports of the granting of an interim interdict by the East London High Court to the Uncedo Taxi Association to prevent the Department of Transport implementing its alternative 'fair share' scholar transport system was a result of poor planning.
"Pupils who rely on the state for scholar transport cannot be held hostage by tender-hungry consortiums," Von Buchenroder said. "Funds for scholar transport should be used to get our children to school and not to line the pockets of middlemen and tenderpreneurs."
He said the department's fraught contract with Eastern Cape Bus and Taxi Business Chamber consortium, One Future Development 46 NPC (OFD) had ended on 31 December 2014; however, provincial Transport MEC Weziwe Tikana had provided no information about plans and time frames to change to a system where bus and taxi operators would deal directly with the department.
Von Buchendorfer said that in reply to a legislature question, Tikana said a budget allocation of R356 076 million in the 2014/15 financial year would provide for only 57 176 pupils out of 96 693 in need of scholar transport.
"In contrast, in 2011 before the contract was awarded to the OFD consortium, some 110 000 scholars benefited from scholar transport, at a cost of R250 million.
He said fewer pupils being transported was partly due to the consortium taking its cut of the pie.
In a media release this week, Tikana said in the new academic year, the Department would continue to transport 57 000 pupils daily to 645 schools, from 3117 pick-up points over a total daily distance of 77 690km using about 2 400 vehicles.
In the Sara Baartman district, 73 tenders were received.
“This means that we will be able to conclude the appointment process of service providers on time in preparation for the re-opening of schools on 21 January 2015,” said Tikana.
"The appointment process will be followed by the inspection of all vehicles that will be involved in the programme to check their roadworthiness."
Tikana said transporters were required to own a compliant public transport vehicle i.e. minibus, midi-bus, medium bus or standard bus and had to provide a Certificate of Fitness (COF), Operating Licence, all Drivers’ Professional Driving permits (PrDP) and proof of Passenger Liability Insurance. In addition they had to be registered with SARS and have a Tax Clearance Certificate.
