GDE ACTIVELY ENGAGING PUBLIC SCHOLAR TRANSPORT SERVICE PROVIDERS TO RESOLVE OUTSTANDING PAYMENTS

Steve Mabona
Gauteng Department of Education Spokesperson

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) acknowledges the challenges currently affecting the GDE Scholar Transport Programme, which led to some service providers halting their operations on Monday, 2 February 2026, affecting learners and effectively contributing to low attendance in some schools.

The Department has been actively engaging with scholar transport service providers to address outstanding payments.

Subsequently, the GDE emphasised their commitment to fulfilling payments of outstanding invoices.

We appealed to service providers to provide a continuous uninterrupted transportation of all learners under the programme as we work tirelessly within available financial processes to finalise payments accordingly.

While these matters are being resolved, the Department has advised schools to utilise appropriate academic recovery measures to ensure that teaching and learning remains on track.

“Indeed, safety, access, and well-being of learners remain a priority.

We will continue to engage all affected stakeholders and resolve the impasse, and we are confident that these engagements and commitments will enable operators to resume services.

We remain committed to collaboration and constructive engagements with our stakeholders in resolving any matters that may arise.

To this end, we encourage all our stakeholders to always engage with us on issues they face within the sector,” said Gauteng Education MEC Chiloane.