• Eastern Cape taxis resumed scholar transport after Premier Oscar Mabuyane promised to pay operators and increase their rates by 6%.

• The four-day shutdown left 700 schools without transport across OR Tambo Coastal, Alfred Nzo, Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay.

Thousands of pupils in the Eastern Cape are finally back at school after the taxi industry ended a four-day scholar transport shutdown.

The service had been stopped since Monday when operators stopped working because the provincial government had not paid them. The shutdown left about 700 schools without transport in areas such as OR Tambo Coastal, Alfred Nzo West and East, Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay.

The crisis ended after a meeting on Wednesday between Premier Oscar Mabuyane, officials from the departments of education and transport, and taxi operators. The shutdown was started by a payment dispute.

Eastern Cape South African National Taxi Council chairperson Simphiwe Gabs Mtshala said the department agreed to start paying operators from Thursday.

“The department confirmed it will make a series of payment runs starting tomorrow 16 October, Tuesday 21 October and Thursday 23 October,” he said.

Mtshala said the department also promised a 6% increase in payments and regular meetings to address delays and other problems.

Premier Mabuyane said the government would keep working with the taxi industry to improve the system and avoid future shutdowns.

“We have learnt from this episode. Our focus now is on restoring trust and ensuring our learners’ right to education is never compromised again,” he said.

The scholar transport programme helps more than 112,000 pupils from mainly rural and poor communities. The department is also investing in digital systems to speed up payments and prevent delays.

Pictured above: Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, Education MEC Fundile Gade and Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha.

Image source: Office of the Premier