Gauteng Clamps Down On Unsafe Scholar Transport Vehicles After Recent Tragic Crashes

Published 28 Jan 2026 at 5:57 PM

by Mbalenhle Butale

3 min read

Authorities in Gauteng have ramped up a crackdown on unsafe scholar transport vehicles, with Pretoria impounding 30 buses and four minibuses and Johannesburg’s JMPD removing over 50 vehicles
The intensified operations follow last week’s scholar transport crisis and recent incidents, including crashes that left multiple learners injured or killed
City officials warn that inspections and roadblocks will continue across Gauteng, with zero tolerance for unroadworthy vehicles or non-compliant operators

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Gauteng scholar — Gauteng clamps down on unsafe scholar transport vehicles after recent tragic crashes. Images:@PublicSafetyMMC/X and @GPDRT_/X
Source: Twitter

GAUTENG- Authorities in Gauteng have intensified their crackdown on unsafe scholar transport vehicles following last week’s scholar transport crisis, which raised serious concerns about the safety of learners commuting to and from school.

In Pretoria, law enforcement officials impounded 30 scholar transport buses and four minibuses during a targeted operation aimed at removing unroadworthy vehicles from public roads on 28 January 2028. The operations form part of a broader provincial effort to enforce compliance with roadworthiness standards and operating permits, particularly in the scholar transport sector.

Johannesburg officials impound 50 vehicles

The crackdown has also gained momentum in Johannesburg, where the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) has now impounded more than 50 scholar transport vehicles. The operation, led by JMPD Chief of Police Dr Floyd Brink, forms part of an integrated bylaw enforcement drive targeting operators who place profit ahead of learner safety.

“This morning, unsafe scholar transport vehicles were taken off the road and heavy fines issued,” the City said.

Officials described the operation as a decisive intervention to disrupt long-standing lawlessness on municipal roads and protect some of the city’s most vulnerable commuters.

The intensified enforcement follows last week’s incident that exposed dangerous conditions under which many learners are transported, sparking public outrage and renewed calls for stricter regulation of the scholar transport industry. Authorities say the ongoing impoundments are intended not only to penalise offenders, but to prevent further incidents and restore confidence in learner transport safety.

Briefly News articles on scholar transport crashes

Nine learners were injured and hospitalised after a scholar transport vehicle carrying pupils was involved in a crash in Elspark, Ekurhuleni, while on the way to school earlier this week. Emergency services responded to the scene and transported the injured learners to hospital for further medical care.
A six-year-old learner waiting to board a scholar transport bus in Ga-Molepo outside Polokwane was tragically killed when she was pushed under the vehicle as other children rushed to get on and the driver began parking. Emergency services pronounced the child dead at the scene, and the Polokwane Local Municipality extended condolences to the bereaved family.
Nine children were injured when a scholar transport vehicle lost control and crashed into a tree on Sarnia Road near Sarnia School in Pinetown, prompting an urgent emergency response. ALS paramedics stabilised the pupils at the scene before transporting them to various hospitals for further treatment, with injuries described as ranging from minor to moderate.
A scholar transport vehicle collided with a bakkie on the R510 near Thabazimbi in Limpopo, leaving the driver of the bakkie seriously injured while the learners on board escaped unharmed and were assessed at a local hospital. Footage from the scene showed traumatised schoolchildren sitting by the roadside, prompting public concern over recurring learner transport incidents.