A collision involving a school bus and a bakkie on the R524 Punda Maria Road near Basani village outside Malamulele has prompted the Democratic Alliance (DA) to renew its call for stronger scholar transport safety measures in Limpopo.
The crash occurred on Tuesday, 22 July, the first day of the new school term. According to reports, several learners from a school in the Malamulele area were injured.
DA Limpopo spokesperson on Education Advocate Franco Marx said the accident highlighted the need for stricter enforcement of scholar transport regulations and traffic laws to better protect learners.
Marx called on Education MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya to prioritise scholar transport safety and urged the Limpopo Department of Transport and relevant law enforcement authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the crash. He said the investigation should examine the roadworthiness of the vehicles involved, compliance with scholar transport regulations, and the condition of the road infrastructure.
Marx also called for a comprehensive audit of all scholar transport vehicles contracted by the Department of Education to ensure they complied with the required safety standards.
According to the DA, Limpopo has faced persistent challenges in its scholar transport system, including shortages of transport services, delays in appointing operators, the use of unsuitable vehicles, and allegations of irregularities in scholar transport tenders.
Marx further urged the Department of Education to strengthen cooperation with the Department of Transport and Community Safety to improve compliance, increase traffic law enforcement, and impound scholar transport vehicles that fail to meet legal requirements.