More than 700 children who have to cross the N1 to get to school would have their buses reinstated immediately, Western Cape education MEC Debbie Schäfer said on Wednesday.

In a statement after visiting Beaufort West, where angry parents blockaded the N1 in January, Schäfer said she would uphold an appeal against her department's decision to scrap the buses.

She said there were specific factors involved which justified an exception to the policy that buses were provided only for journeys of more than 5km.

The school transport route from Hillside to schools in Beaufort West was cancelled in 2019, when officials decided a previous exception should be scrapped because of changes in the road conditions.

Parents appealed to Schäfer and, during a 7am visit to the Karoo town, she said no traffic officers were on duty at the pedestrian crossings across the N1.

“I am advised that they are supposed to be, but given that they were not, it is clear that we cannot rely on them. For children to try to negotiate this on their own poses a danger. There are also no traffic lights at any of the crossings,” the MEC said.

“The N1 is a very busy national road, carrying many large trucks every day. There are a many learners involved — in the region of 740 — which adds a significant risk when they cross the road, to themselves and others.”

An additional factor, said Schäfer, was a hill just before the town’s first pedestrian crossing. “If cars are going fast, it is not easy to stop in time, and it is not easy to anticipate that there is a crossing at the bottom of the hill.”

The MEC said the parents' decision to block the N1 for four hours was unacceptable. “This did not contribute to my decision, which was made on my own assessment of the conditions.

“We are now going to engage with the mayors in the district, as well as other departments, with a view to finding long-term, sustainable solutions to this issue.”