By Selloane Ntshonyane
- Soweto driver Welile Mthwalo earns R6,000 a month from 12 pupils but spends most of it on fuel, licences and vehicle repairs.
- Gauteng transport officials warn operators not to buy vehicles before getting approved licences, or they may end up operating illegally.
A Soweto scholar transport driver says doing things legally is becoming harder every year because rising costs are eating into his income.
Welile Mthwalo transports children between Pimville and Eldorado Park.
He carries 12 pupils and charges R500 per child every month.
That gives him R6,000 before expenses. But Mthwalo says most of that money disappears quickly.
He pays about R1,700 every year for his operating licence. “Every year it increases. It never stays the same,” he said.
His biggest cost is fuel.
Mthwalo drives a VW Caravelle and says he used to spend about R4,000 a month on petrol.
That has now gone up to about R4,300.
He also spends about R2,000 on maintenance twice a year to keep the vehicle safe and roadworthy.
To make extra money, he sometimes transports families, church groups and schoolchildren on weekends.
But even that is not enough.
“Everything has gone up, so at the end of the day you are left with very little,” he said.
Mthwalo said he has had to cut back on groceries and toiletries because the cost of living is too high.
He said many scholar transport operators are not trying to dodge the law.
They are struggling because licences, petrol, food and repairs keep getting more expensive.
Mthwalo said having a licence helps him work without fear of being stopped by the police.
But he said legal operators also need support because their businesses are under pressure.
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport says operators must apply for an operating licence before buying a vehicle.
The department says approval depends on demand and whether the operator meets the requirements.
Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela has warned that people who buy vehicles before approval may end up operating illegally if their applications are rejected.
The department says it will continue with enforcement and awareness campaigns to make sure operators follow the correct process.
For Mthwalo, the message is simple: obeying the law is important, but staying afloat is getting tougher.
Pictured above: Scholar transport driver Welile Mthwalo.
Image source: Supplied.
