Unroadworthy vehicles, buses with worn-out tyres, leaking fuel, broken windows and even vehicles propped up with bricks to prevent them from rolling.
These are among the disturbing findings of the South African Human Rights Commission’s probe into scholar transport in North West.
At the time of the probe, 54,639 pupils from 358 schools were receiving scholar transport services in the province.
A total of 5,907 pupils, spread across 4,990 schools, were eligible for scholar transport but not receiving it due to budget constraints.
The commission initiated the probe after widespread and persistent concerns relating to the safety, reliability, accessibility and adequacy of scholar transport in North West.
According to the report, released on Monday in Rustenburg, other key challenges confronting scholar transport services in the province included overloading and multiple trips, late payments to operators and the use of non-compliant vehicles.
It said while the provincial department of education took some responsibility for the overloading of scholar transport vehicles, it attributed the bulk of the challenges to the North West department of community safety and transport management (Cosatma).
“The impact of these challenges includes disruption of teaching and learning due to late arrivals of learners at school, absenteeism and missed lessons, while also compromising learner safety through risks such as long walks to school, fatigue, overcrowding, stampedes, and potential accidents that can result in injuries or deaths,” the report read.
The commission said that with regard to implementation failures, both Cosatma and the department of education acknowledged in their submission on November 25 2025 that thousands of eligible pupils were still without scholar transport.
This, it said, demonstrated widespread and repeated instances of pupils being unable to access education because buses did not arrive, routes were cancelled, or vehicles broke down without contingency arrangements.
“These challenges persist even after the inquiry,” it said.
The commission said 21 pupils from Phakedi Primary School were left without transport for months after a service agreement expired, with some initially dropping out of school or relocating.
It added the department had acknowledged that 8,340 pupils across 93 schools were excluded from the scholar transport programme in 2024 and the beginning of the 2025 academic year, while 5,468 pupils were currently without transport due to budget constraints.
This meant many pupils were forced to walk long distances to reach school, if they could not afford to pay for their own transport.
“... the evidence further shows that where scholar transport is provided, it is frequently unsafe, unreliable, arrives late and picks up learners late, all of which is inconsistent with the state’s duty to respect, protect, promote, and fulfil rights.
“The commission heard extensive evidence of the use of unroadworthy vehicles — buses with worn-out tyres, leaking fuel, broken windows, and even those secured with bricks to prevent rolling.”
The fact that Cosatma agreed with service providers to forego the January 2025 roadworthiness testing — due to non-payment — illustrates a reckless disregard for these obligations, as well as the safety and well-being of the learners
— The South African Human Rights Commission
The commission said some witnesses described such vehicles as “coffins”.
“The presence of such vehicles on the road is not a mere administrative shortcoming but a grave violation of learners’ rights to safety and dignity under sections 10 and 12 of the constitution.
“The fact that Cosatma agreed with service providers to forego the January 2025 roadworthiness testing — due to non-payment — illustrates a reckless disregard for these obligations, as well as the safety and well-being of the learners.
“With regards to overcrowding, the evidence showed that overcrowding did not only occur as an operational ill but was, in some instances, sanctioned by the service level agreements entered into with service providers, which permit learners below the age of 13 to share seats.”
The commission has now given the departments 60 days to submit a comprehensive progress report on measures taken to address the challenges, including funding constraints.
The North West department of community safety and transport management said it would study the report, especially the remedial directives on ameliorating challenges experienced.
“It is, however, worth noting that the department had already been attending to some of the challenges raised in the report, including engaging the provincial treasury on the budget shortfall,” said spokesperson Charles Matlou.
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