Investigation into school bus with open, ‘broken’ door concluded

Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The investigation into a local learner transport provider who had allegedly transported children to Mossel Bay schools on a bus with an open, seemingly broken door on 29 January this year has been concluded.

The Western Cape Department of Education (Wced) confirmed the conclusion to Mossel Bay Advertiser by email this afternoon, 16 April, after the newspaper had sent queries to the department yesterday, regarding the status of the investigation, as well as a new allegation against the transporter by local parent Faizell Porter.

Porter, who had first raised concerns about the learner transport service provider and posted footage of the bus to his Facebook page on 29 January, had previously told the Advertiser that he and several other parents had voiced their complaints to the department.

In response to Porter’s video and complaints, the department began an investigation.

However, yesterday morning, 15 April, Porter posted another video on his Facebook page and claimed some children were still being left to wait on the side of the N2 without adult supervision.

The Advertiser thus sent follow-up questions to the department regarding the initial investigation, as well as queries about these minors being left at the side of a freeway early in the morning.

Bronagh Hammond of the department said it had held an engagement with the service provider about one month ago.

“The Wced presented its concerns, which were formally tabled. The Wced addressed performance concerns and set clear expectations, outlining non-negotiable requirements for compliance,” said Hammond.

Regarding Porter’s most recent claim about children still being left at the side of a freeway unsupervised, the department said it has designated pick-up and drop-off points, as stipulated in the contractual agreements with transport service providers.

“Therefore, no learner should be left on the side of the road if it is not a designated drop-off point. This will further be investigated ...”

Hammond added that the contract with the particular service provider remains in place due to contractual obligations.

“The department maintains continuous communication with all service providers, particularly in instances in which there may be concerns regarding compliance with contractual requirements,” she said.

She further stated that the most recent inspections of the transporters’ vehicles were conducted in December last year to verify the validity of licence discs and other roadworthiness certifications.

“The service provider is responsible for ensuring that all drivers possess valid driving licences. This responsibility is subject to oversight by the school and supported by ad hoc monitoring conducted by the district office,” she said.

Previous articles:

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’