No transport for 30000 pupils

MORE than 30000 Eastern Cape pupils in need of scholar transport will be forced to walk to school this year.

This was revealed by the provincial department of transport yesterday.

The department, which is currently transporting 57000 pupils, admitted that due to financial constraints it could not transport the pupils but was trying to accommodate them.

"There are 94000 deserving pupils and we are able to transport 57000 of them. Our next target is 65000 pupils," said spokesman Ncedo Kumbaca.

Kumbaca said by yesterday 99% of pupils were transported and some taxi operators had supported the department.

The department said plans were under way to engage the department of pubic works to assist in fixing the roads. "The most important thing is safety. We are not going to allow our operators to drive on such roads. This is about safety of the pupils as well."

Kumbaca said by the end of the week the registration of transport operators and awarding of operating licences would be finalised.

Regarding the thousands of pupils left stranded on the first day back at school, Kumbaca said not all would be transported. "We receive an approved list of qualifying pupils from the education department and we transport those. Not all the schools or pupils are registered to be transported," he said.

MEC Weziwe Tikana and other officials from the education department are travelling across the province to monitor the scholar transport.