Transport Committee demands progress report on scholar transport
The Portfolio Committee on Transport has demanded that the Department of Transport report on progress made regarding “Scholar transport and the Shova Kalula” programmes before the end of this financial year.
The Committee Chairperson, Ms Ruth Bhengu, said it appeared that the two programmes were disappearing from the department’s regular reporting to Parliament. “Supplying scholar transport to poor children will contribute towards poverty alleviation. South Africa is a developmental state, and programmes ought to be in line with the developmental approach that the country is pursuing,” said Ms Bhengu.
Scholar transport is a government programme meant to assist those learners who walk long distances to school. The function had recently been shifted from the Department of Basic Education to the Department of Transport. The Committee had previously requested that the Department look at modalities of manufacturing bicycles locally, as opposed to importing.
“Scholar transport is such a massive programme that could result in jobs creation and assisting in many other social ills associated with rural migration like the mushrooming informal settlements. The country should move towards establishing manufacturing and assembling plants in under-developed areas,” she said.
The Chairperson said South Africa was rich in steel, and the country should be moving towards manufacturing bicycles for the poor learners. “The country should move into manufacturing mode, and move away from being a consumer-oriented economy. This will lead to a manufacturing active citizenship, and will halt the trend of rural migration,” said Ms Bhengu.
The Eastern Cape is the most challenged province when it comes to scholar transport, with only 55 000 learners transported daily, out of 105 000 deserving learners.
Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of Ms Ruth Bhengu, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Transport
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