The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security directorate says traffic officers will keep a close eye on scholar transport vehicles, to ensure compliance and the safety of young passengers.
According to the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith, many residents do not have the luxury of dropping their children personally and rely on the services of public transport operators and those who provide dedicated scholar transport.
“Often, children spend a large part of their day in transit, and we have a duty to ensure that they get to school and home safely. Parents, schools, vehicle owners and drivers should work together in this regard,” Smith said.
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Smith added that parents should check the credentials of scholar transport operators to make sure that they abide by all of the requirements, but also that their vehicles are indeed fit for the purpose.
“It’s a sad reality that many parents make transport decisions based on the availability of service providers or price and while these are very valid considerations.
“We ask that you please also check the credentials of transport operators before signing up,” Smith explained.
In terms of legislation, vehicles that are used to transport school children should:
- Not be older than 12 years
- Be registered and licensed in the Western Cape
- Have a special ‘vehicle fitness’ certificate and undergo roadworthy testing every six months
- Be fitted with a seatbelt for every passenger, and a car seat for each child younger than three
Meanwhile, the City’s Traffic Service, and its Transport Enforcement Unit (TEU) in particular, dedicate as many resources as possible to the monitoring of scholar and public transport vehicles.
Since 2015 the TEU visited 136 schools, issued 10 414 fines and impounded 416 scholar transport vehicles. Last year the unit impounded 18 taxis and issued more than 490 fines for transgressions of the National Land Transportation Act.
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Picture: Eyethu