Education
With regard to “authorised learners” approved by his Department’s head office to be transported on a learner transport route:
(a) How many learners have been approved by his Department for 2025 and
(b) how is the transport of learners managed to ensure that only “authorised learners” are transported?
My department has informed me of the following:
5. (a) As at 1 April 2025, 69 020 learners have been approved for learner transport, and we are spending R674 million on learner transport in our province this year.
(b) To ensure that only authorised learners are being transported on Learner Transport Scheme (LTS) routes, principals were informed in November 2024 that they must assign a requisite number of responsible persons to monitor whether the learners boarding an LTS vehicle in the afternoon after school correspond with the learners listed on the learner transport database.
To assist monitors in identifying authorised learners, a form of identification must be implemented, such as identification cards, lanyards or tokens.
This will allow bus monitors to identify learners who are authorised to board a vehicle at the school in the afternoon. Should a learner not be in possession of a form of identification, the bus monitor must report this to the principal or delegated official.
