The Select Committee on Education and Recreation has noted with sadness the death of 14 (fourteen) school children and the bus driver outside Knysna on Wednesday.
The committee condemns in strongest terms any act of recklessness, including overloading or driving vehicles with faulty brakes, that could lead to the death of children. “If the allegations of negligence are true, there should be stringent action against the service provider,” said the Committee Chairperson, Ms Mamosoeu Makgate.
Ms Makgatle said too many school children died on the roads because of the lack of strong monitoring controls of the vehicles that transported them. “Some of the taxis and busses are unroadworthy but are allowed to continue transporting children: this must stop,” she said.
She said, as part of its oversight responsibility, the committee would consider bringing the provincial education departments and school transport service providers under one roof to find control strategies that would curb further deaths of children on the roads. The committee extended its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, during this dark hour.
Enquiries:
Mava Lukani
Tel: 021 403 8738
Cell: 072 589 9355
E-mail: mlukani@parliament.gov.za
Source: Parliament of South Africa
Committee sends condolences
