The South African Scholar Transporters Association (SASTA) has called on the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport to urgently step in amid growing concerns of extortion and intimidation allegedly perpetrated by members of a provincial taxi association.
According to SASTA, scholar transport operators are being forced to pay a permit fee of R3,000 per vehicle to a KwaZulu-Natal taxi association — a practice the association says is both unlawful and exploitative.
SASTA General Secretary Sihle Magubane said the ongoing harassment has created a volatile environment and urged government to establish separate regulatory frameworks for scholar transport and taxi services.
“We are pleading with the government to regulate us independently,” Magubane stated. “Scholar transport and the taxi industry are two distinct sectors. We want to manage our affairs separately to address our unique challenges without interference or conflict.”
The association has raised concerns that without clear regulatory distinction and intervention, tensions between the two sectors may escalate, further endangering the safety and livelihoods of those involved in transporting schoolchildren.
SASTA is now awaiting a formal response from the provincial transport department, calling for swift action to safeguard the integrity of the scholar transport sector and ensure children can get to school safely, without operators falling prey to intimidation tactics.