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The Eastern Cape Department of Transport has noted the media reports about the findings of the South African Human Rights Commission on the Scholar Transport Programme in the Province.
On Wednesday the SAHRC said the Bhisho Education and Transport Departments had violated the rights of learners in some parts of the province by failing to provide adequate scholar transport for them.
In a statement today, the Bhisho Transport Department said the challenges faced by the Scholar Transport Programme have been identified and remedial measures are being introduced in order to improve the quality of the service.
Department spokesperson, Ncedo Kumbaca, says they are working on a new plan for the procurement of scholar transport services, which will be implemented in the 2015 academic year.
He says this will include the promotion of the introduction of legally compliant light delivery vehicles on routes, which are not easily accessible.
"The Scholar Transport Programme facilitates the provision of transport for learners walking in excess of 5km to access schools in line with the National Draft Scholar Transport Policy.
As the Department, we believe that we have also made a significant contribution in the improvement of the overall performance of our Provincial Education System since we took over this crucial service in July 2011."
"The 64.9% Provincial pass rate for 2013 represents a 3.3% increase and a further and sustained increase since the 2011 results, which was on the same period, when we took over the service," Kumbaca said.
"In the last financial year, the Department provided scholar transport to 56,210 scholars on a daily basis. These scholars were transported to 645 schools, from 3,117 pick-up points over a total daily distance of 77,690km using about 2,400 vehicles," he added.
Kumbaca says Transport MEC, Weziwe Tikana, made a commitment in her policy speech three months ago to ensure that all eligible learners are covered by the end of the five year period.
"There is an ongoing engagement with Provincial Treasury in order to realize this undertaking. We will further establish working relationship with Local Government and community structures in order to improve the monitoring of the Scholar Transport Programme," said Kumbaca.
