Gauteng Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC Matome Chiloane has urged parents to verify the condition of the scholar transport they use after a horror crash in which an “overloaded” vehicle carrying learners was hit by a bakkie, claiming the lives of 12 learners and their driver in Carletonville on Wednesday morning.
Eleven learners were from Rocklands Primary School and one from Laerskool Blyvooruitsig. Seven other learners were receiving urgent medical treatment.
Speaking to the media at the accident site, Chiloane said the vehicle was in poor condition and overloaded. Chiloane encouraged parents to inspect the condition of vehicles used to transport their children to school.
“This transport is the agreement between parents and the transport provider, and what I always urge parents to do is ... look at the condition (of) the vehicle (that) is transporting your children, the number of children that have taken this private particular transport,” Chiloane said.
“I stopped one (scholar transporter) in the area of Motsweding with about 45 children, and I asked myself, when this person (driver) keeps on putting (learners) into this taxi, what are they saying?
Everybody needs to take a certain responsibility.”
Chiloane emphasised that the scholar transport vehicle did not meet adequate standards and urged parents never to allow their children to be transported in such vehicles.
He noted they would assess the necessity for scholar transport based on the distance learners travelled to and from school.
Chiloane earlier confirmed police were investigating the circumstances leading to the accident.
The Department of Education had dispatched its psycho-social support team to the schools to provide immediate support and to work closely with the schools and affected families.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube expressed her condolences to the affected families, friends and schooling communities.
Cape Times