Centurion – The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has raised the alarm over the poor condition of vehicles used to transport school children, after nationwide inspections revealed widespread violations of traffic laws and safety standards.
In a statement earlier today, Friday, 5 June 2026, the RTMC stated that at least 1 324 scholar transport vehicles were seized by law enforcement authorities during the first quarter of this year.
The RTMC said the crackdown formed part of the winter road safety campaign, which identified scholar transport as a major contributor to fatal crashes.
“Out of 6 120 vehicles stopped and checked, a staggering 4 035 were found to be operating illegally or unsafely,” the statement said.
Common violations included transporting learners without seatbelts, overloading, and using unroadworthy vehicles.
Many vehicles had defects in tyres, brakes, and rear stop lights.
Further investigations revealed that:
- 155 vehicles were unlicensed.
- 805 vehicles were fined for overloading.
- Several operators lacked valid public transport permits.
- 36 drivers failed to produce professional driving permits, while others had no driving licenses at all.
The RTMC said it noted with concern that most offenders were young drivers, aged between 18 and 35 years, followed by those between 35 and 45 years.
The corporation emphasised that scholar transport safety requires “extraordinary heightened law enforcement operations” to protect children from preventable crashes and injuries.
