Logistics & TransportproposedLong TermBasic Education

Learner Transport Policy: Funded National Programme

Theme: learner_transport

First raisedMay 2023Last discussedMay 2023Dormant — not discussed in 12+ months

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Assessment

Growth Impact3/5

Feasibility3/5

Responsible: Department of Basic Education / DOT

Feasibility Assessment

DBE and DOT responsibility overlap creates chronic implementation gaps and budget fragmentation. Provincial transport budgets are insufficient. The education outcome evidence is clear — attendance and attainment suffer significantly from unsafe, long journeys. This is a tractable problem if inter-governmental fiscal arrangements are reformed.

Description

Approximately 5-7 million South African learners travel more than 5 km to their nearest school, yet the country lacks a nationally funded, consistently implemented learner transport programme. The DBE's Learner Transport Policy (2015) provides a framework but funding is a provincial competence, resulting in wide inter-provincial variation: some provinces provide subsidies while others provide none. Irregular or absent transport contributes to absenteeism, dropout, and gender-based safety risks for girls. The PC on Basic Education's BRRRs consistently flagged learner transport as a critical equity gap, particularly in rural Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal. A national conditional grant with standardised norms and minimum service standards is the proposed reform.

OECD

Referenced in OECD Economic Surveys: South Africa

OECD SA Survey (2020, 2022, 2025). Transport reform recommended to improve logistics performance and reduce costs.