Picture: The bus that a learner allegedly pushed out of it/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
The Chairperson of the North West Provincial Legislature’s Public Works, Roads, Community Safety and Transport Management, Mmoloki Cwaile said they have requested the North West Department of Community of Safety and Transport Management to thoroughly investigate the incident, where a Grade R learner from Moeti Primary School in Huhudi Township, near Vryburg, was pushed out of the moving scholar transport bus.
It is alleged that, the learner, Lethabo Goralotse (5) was allegedly pushed out of a moving scholar transport bus by other learners. The incident allegedly took place on Friday morning between Joe Morolong Memorial Hospital and Morning Star Private School at around 6:30am.
Cwaile said, Lethabo was allegedly pushed into the bus and balanced with her hands on the emergency exit window, which was reported to be loose at the time. He further said, that allegedly resulted in her being thrown out of a moving bus.
“The driver could not be alerted immediately and the injured learner was assisted by a motorist. She was transported to the Joe Morolong Memorial Hospital for medical attention. As the Portfolio Committee, we have reached out to the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari and North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi, who has also made an effort to reach out to the family.
“We have also reached out to the family of the affected learner and assured the mother, Connie Goralotse that, we will react once we have received the investigation report that will determine ascertain us that the bus was in good condition and roadworthy, including how the accident happened,” he said.
Cwaile added that, they will have an interaction with the North West Community Safety and Transport Management to seek redress. He said they have also been informed that, the injured learner was assessed only for five hours at the hospital then her family transferred her to a private hospital because they were not happy with the service they received.
“It is alleged that, no clinical observations and investigations were conducted to exclude the possible head injuries. However, we will continue to engage with the family and monitor the kind of support that is provided to them. We will continue to hold the department accountable.
“So, we condemn with the strongest possible term the usage of unroadworthy buses as scholar transport and the collapse of the thorough inspection that must exclude the risks that are associated with scholar transport. However, we are confident that we will drill this matter to the bottom of it and take it to the logical conclusion,” said Cwaile.
The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari said: “We wish the learner a speedy recovery and also assure the parents that a thorough investigation into what happened will be done. We will in the meantime, engage the family to hear their side of the story.
“The department has a team of monitors in all the districts and observance of compliance is done on an extemporaneous basis. The service level agreement (SLA) the department has with contracted operators includes a passenger liability by the operator.”
Lehari said roadworthiness inspection of vehicles is not done exclusively for learner transport, but as part of normal law enforcement operations to ensure compliance. He said it is on record that, earlier this year, many learner buses which were not roadworthy were impounded by the department.
The Director for Public Transport Service, Dr Olebogeng Baikgaki engaged the operator following Lehari’s directive for an intervention. Baikgaki said the department has already engaged the operator to arrange for the learner to be treated and be responsible for the medical bill until the child recovers fully.
“Over and above this, the operator has committed to assist with the private transportation of the learner to and from school until she has fully recovered”, said Dr Baikgaki.
The Guardian 