Cape Town - Scholar transport operators are still at loggerheads with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) over a relief fund, with some operators calling for tools down.
The two operators, the SA National Small Bus Operators Council (Sanboc) and the Southern African Bus Operators Council (Saboa) requested to meet with the department today, after expressing their dismay saying they were feeling the salary pinch and were left in the dark after the closing of schools and the reintroduction of a phased return.
This comes after the department reminded the operators about the Standard Operating Procedure in respect of the sanitisation of Learner Transport Scheme (LTS) vehicles which was previously issued to LTS contractors would remain applicable and still needed to be complied with as more grades opened today.
In terms of the revised school calendar. Grades R, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10 and 11 were expected to be back at schools today, which then would be followed by Grades 5 and 8 on August 31 - joining Grades 12 and 7.
Paul Swart, WCED director for Institutional Resource Support urged operators: “Please bear in mind that LTS contractors may only transport pupils to and from schools on a singular basis per day as contracted.”
He said schools that required more than one trip daily as a result of shifts would have to take individual responsibility for the payment of the additional services as that wasn't part of the contract with the LTS contractors.
He said their attention must also be drawn to the fact that due to Government Gazette number 43538, Volume 661, published on July 22, which provided for the 100% utilisation of all LTS vehicles, the WCED would resort back to the payment structure in the contract. “In accordance with the contract, the payment for services rendered will resort back to the number of pupils transported times the contracted rote per pupil per day times the distance travelled.”
Saboa provincial chairperson Nazeem Dollie said should the WCED not be inclined to attend the meeting and/or not agree to extend payment structure, contractors have indicated that they would seize to provide learners transport services from today.
Sanboc spokesperson Praveen Singh said although Grade 12s and 7s returned to school, “had we not agreed on the 90% remuneration structure and contractors proceed to render the service of the actual number of pupils in attendance the service would have been operated at a loss.”
Dollie said since the phased reopening, the numbers have never materialised; in other words, operating within the contractual terms and pay structures would have been disastrous.
Cape Argus