Thousands of Western Cape learners stranded after transport operators suspend services - IOL

Thousands of learners were left stranded on Tuesday as the final term of the academic year kicked off.

Thousands of learners across the Western Cape were left stranded on the first day of the final school term for the year on Tuesday due to no transportation. 

On Monday, the South African National Small Bus Operators Council (SANSBOC) announced the suspension of transport for learners, citing the “absence of a meaningful response from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) by the deadline provided”. 

The WCED confirmed learner transport currently covers 607 routes and caters to 71,247 learners on these routes. 

According to the council, this decision follows an emergency meeting held in Worcester on October 1, which gave the WCED until 12pm on Monday, October 5 to provide a meaningful and substantive response regarding the urgent financial crisis facing learner transport contractors. 

“That deadline has passed, and SANSBOC-WC has not had the courtesy of receiving a substantive response from the WCED. This is an extremely difficult and deeply regrettable position for SANSBOC-WC and its members,” it said. 

According to the council, the biggest concern it has is the excessive increase in diesel costs. 

“Diesel has increased from R17.69 a litre in January 2026 to R28.68 a litre in September 2026. Current projections indicate that coastal 50ppm diesel could reach approximately R31.08 a litre from October 7, 2026. This is a projection and not yet the official October price. If the projection materialises, diesel will be approximately 80% more expensive than it was in January,” it said. 

SANSBOC-WC said it has repeatedly engaged with the WCED and relevant government structures regarding the extraordinary increase in diesel costs and the urgent need for relief. 

The Executive Director of the Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation, Billy Claasen, expressed outrage that a rural child loses a day of school due to government’s failure to resolve a transport dispute. 

Claasen demanded urgent actions from the DA-led Western Cape Government following the announced suspension of learner transport. 

“For many children on farms and in rural communities, the school bus is their only way to reach a classroom. Telling parents to find alternative transport places the burden on families who often have neither a car nor money for private transport,” he said. 

According to Claasen, his organisation was informed that the WCED promised operators a 5% increase in June, backdated to March, which has not been implemented. 

“What was promised? Why has it not been implemented? When will operators receive an answer? The WCED must confirm the agreement and provide a payment timetable. If it disputes this account, it must release the relevant records. 

"Blaming bus companies will not resolve the costs they have raised. Asking operators to keep driving must be backed by a workable agreement. A promise does not buy diesel. With matric examinations approaching, learners cannot afford lost teaching and preparation time,” Claasen said. 

He further called on Western Cape Education MEC Jaco Londt to convene an emergency meeting with operators, address outstanding commitments and secure an agreement that protects learners. 

“The WCED must urgently identify affected routes and communicate safe transport arrangements to schools and parents. The Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation stands with affected families and calls on communities to demand accountability from the provincial government,” Claasen said. 

In response to inquiries, Londt said he has been engaging in constructive discussions with the SANSBOC chairperson which will continue today when he has a meeting with the SANSBOC leadership. 

“The WCED has requested more time to provide the council a substantive response. This request is particularly pertinent given that a meeting has already been scheduled for Wednesday, October 7 to consider this issue and the affordability of the proposed diesel relief measure,” Londt said. 

He said learners will not be stranded for the rest of the week. 

“We trust that after today no learner will be negatively impacted for the rest of the week by this matter, especially vulnerable learners who depend on this transport to access school, and our matriculants who are days away from their final NSC examinations. This is a crucial period for our schools and we ask for co-operation from all parties involved so we may not have teaching and learning disrupted,” Londt said. 

He said the WCED was still awaiting feedback from schools to determine the impact on the first day of term. 

The WCED’s Director of Communication, Bronagh Hammond, said the department appreciates the financial pressures faced by learner transport operators, particularly in the current economic climate. However, any proposal with significant budget implications requires careful consideration and due process. 

“The WCED has held a number of engagements and internal discussions to assess the costs involved, evaluate affordability, and determine what measures may be viable within existing budget constraints. These are not decisions that can be made overnight, and stakeholders have been aware that this process was underway,” Hammond said. 

She said the WCED already spends a significant amount on Learner Transport - Budget 2026/27: R698 million – transporting over 71,000 learners each school day. 

“Any form of diesel relief has to be considered in terms of budget affordability. This process is in the final stages and, as indicated by the Head of Department, feedback will be provided on Friday,” Hammond said. 

“What we cannot accept is the impact that this is having on learners and their access to education. This is a critical time for our matriculants especially. The last-minute instruction to suspend transport services also poses a safety risk for our learners,” she said.