Here’s when Gauteng’s public scholar transport will resume after strike

Education MEC Matome Chiloane briefing the media on public scholar transport services in Gauteng. Picture: Supplied/GDE Media Public scholar transport services in Gauteng will resume in phases from Thursday, with full operations expected on Monday 16 February, following a breakthrough in negotiations between the Gauteng department of education (GDE) and transport service providers. Education MEC Matome Chiloane confirmed on Tuesday that the department had resolved the impasse that led to the suspension of services from last Monday, 2 February.

The strike affected about 238 000 pupils who rely on approximately 3 000 buses operated by 250 contracted service providers. Chiloane said providers with the necessary capacity would begin transporting pupils from Thursday, while others may resume on Friday. “Full operations will be resumed and I’m confident that we are going to pay them.

He said that some operators required time to service vehicles and return buses that had been moved out of operating areas due to concerns about vandalism. “They’ve requested a minimum of a day. So we can anticipate some beginning operations on Thursday, some on Friday, but definitely Monday is full operation for everyone,” said Chiloane.

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Communication about the phased return will take place directly between service providers and the schools they serve. At the centre of the dispute were outstanding payments. Service providers initially claimed they were owed three months.

Chiloane said this assertion was incorrect. “We owed them two months at the time, which were November and December,” he said.

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