The provision of scholar transport service in South Africa : a case of Kwa-Zulu Natal and Limpopo Provinces.

Abstract

The provision of scholar transport services has become a significant issue in the public transportation systems of developing countries. This is writ largely in the fact that, governments are increasingly recognising the importance of shortening the distance travelled by learners to schools by way of providing them with transport services that are adequate, safe, and reliable. This is understandable because learners, especially those residing in remote rural areas, have to travel long distances for them to get to the nearest school, safe and on time. Flowing from this perspective, it should be noted that failure to provide scholar transport services has, in most instances, resulted in situations wherein learners arrive at schools late and often tired. Under such conditions, learners find it difficult to concentrate in class and their performance will most likely suffer a great deal. Thus, it goes without saying that scholar transport is an African indispensable part of the primary education system in South Africa. It is within this context that the purpose of this conceptual article is to examine the provision of scholar transport service in South Africa with the view of identifying the issues, trends, and challenges that hamper the efficient and effective provision of such services. The article mainly focuses on South Africa because in 2015, the government developed a transport policy called National Scholar Transport whose objectives was to, among other things, improve passenger transport for people with special needs such as learners. The major finding of this article is that the effective implementation of such a policy and the sustainable provision of scholar transport services is still remain a challenge, particularly in the Kwa-Zulu Natal and Limpopo provinces. The article concludes by proposing interventions that can be implemented in an effort to enhance the adequate provision of scholar transport services in South Africa.