• Gauteng warns scholar transport operators that unsafe vehicles will be impounded and drivers may be arrested.

• Parents urged to check transport safety as officials inspect vehicles at schools and busy routes.

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has issued a strong warning to scholar transport operators as schools reopen.

The department says it will take firm action against any vehicle that puts learners' lives at risk.

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MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale Tlabela said learner safety comes first. She warned that unroadworthy vehicles and those without valid licences or permits will be taken off the road immediately.

Drivers could also face arrest.

"All scholar transport vehicles must have a valid licence disc, a roadworthy certificate and proper seating with seatbelts," Diale Tlabela said. "Overloaded or unsafe vehicles will not be tolerated."

The department will run strict inspections at schools and along busy routes used by scholar transport vehicles.

Parents have also been urged to play their part. Diale Tlabela said parents should not pay for transport that looks unsafe or does not meet legal standards.

She encouraged parents to report illegal operators so action can be taken quickly.

Motorists were reminded to be extra careful near schools, especially during morning and afternoon peak hours when traffic increases.

"These steps are part of our road safety programme," Diale Tlabela said. "We want every learner to travel to and from school safely."

The department said enforcement will continue throughout the year to reduce accidents involving scholar transport vehicles and to make sure operators follow the law.