Ekurhuleni Learners Get Free Transport as Private Drivers Step Up During Bus Strike

• Private scholar transport drivers offered free transport to learners amid ongoing bus strikes in Ekurhuleni
• The Benoni Educational Scholar Transport Organisation responded to students stranded without transport during the strike
• Chairperson John Chauke said they are prioritising the safety of children in the high-risk areas affected by the bus drivers' strike

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

GAUTENG, EKURHULENI - Some private scholar transport drivers have stepped in to assist learners stranded by the ongoing bus strike in the Ekurhuleni metro.

Transporting learners free of charge

The Benoni Educational Scholar Transport Organisation said many of its drivers are transporting affected learners to and from school free of charge. The assistance covers learners in Benoni, Daveyton, Etwatwa and Springs. The organisation said it intervened after striking bus drivers left learners stranded, leaving pupils without transport to school. Chairperson John Chauke said the intervention had come at a high cost, as drivers could not charge learners who previously relied on free transport services.

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Chauke said he felt compelled to act as a parent, adding that many township schools are located in high-risk areas. He said drivers found many children stranded and were told that bus drivers claimed they had no diesel. Chauke said his biggest concern was the safety of primary school learners, who he said could not be left alone. He added that the main challenge facing the private transport drivers was the risk of overloading.

Other stories about scholar transport

Transport authorities have stepped up enforcement against unsafe scholar transport vehicles following the tragic Vaal crash in which 14 learners were killed when a school taxi collided with a side tipper. In Johannesburg, authorities impounded 30 scholar transport vehicles that were found to be unroadworthy and unsafe to carry schoolchildren on Thursday, 22 January 2026. This follows renewed and urgent calls for authorities to fix the broken scholar transport system that places many children's lives in jeopardy.

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Gauteng clamps down on unsafe scholar transport vehicles after recent tragic crashes

A scholar transport incident was reported in Gauteng after a minibus carrying schoolchildren caught fire on Wednesday morning, 21 January 2026. The fire broke out in Lenasia South while the vehicle was travelling to school. Footage circulating on social media showed a white Mercedes minibus in flames as residents in the area moved in to assist. Community members were seen removing school bags from the vehicle and attempting to put out the fire.

Another scholar transport incident has hit Gauteng province after a kombi carrying two pupils and their driver caught fire in Vosloorus, Gauteng, last month. The City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) said firefighters received a call around 06:03 about a vehicle on fire in Inyetsane Street, Vosloorus, Extension 7. By the time emergency services arrived, the kombi was fully engulfed in flames. Both children, aged six and ten, and the driver escaped without injuries.

Source: Briefly News