QONCE - For many Eastern Cape children, getting to school remains an uphill battle.
Each day, they cross flooded rivers or walk long distances just to attend class.
That struggle continues, as the Provincial Transport Department has yet to secure funding for its Scholar Transport Programme service providers.
The mini-bus taxi industry said it's bad enough that many operators had gone unpaid for months due to outstanding scholar transport funds.
Now, traffic officials are targeting them on the road for the smallest violations, adding to their frustration.
Santaco's Dr Nokuthula Mbebe blamed the state for the condition some of their vehicles are in.
"Surely the department has to show some leniency, especially when they are the cause because operators have not renewed their license, the fact that they are driving with worn-out tyres is the department's fault," she said.
The Eastern Cape Transport Department is running out of money.
More than R800 million was allocated to the Scholar Transport Programme this financial year.
Yet officials say even that sum falls short for busing 100,000 pupils or more.
That's because the department is still settling last year’s debts.
Eastern Cape Department of Transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose said, "We can foresee that we won't be able to see off the school year with the current budget that we have now. It is still enough for us to pay our accrued amount that we already owe for this financial year, but if we continue as things are now, it is clear that around September, we may encounter some problems."
Ongoing financial woes are hitting transport operators hard, as they're already grappling with soaring fuel prices, vehicle finance costs, and maintenance expenses.
But above all, it’s children’s futures, and their access to education, that continue to hang in the balance.