3.2.3 Scholar transport - as at December 2010, an estimated 110 000 learners were said to be transported. By August 2010, the budget for this programme was already exhausted. However learners continued to be transported resulting in high levels of accruals. The programme, like the school nutrition programme became vulnerable to abuse, fraud and corruption. A decision was taken to identify funds to continue with the programme until the end of the financial year. Funds could not be found and as a result the programme had to be suspended. However an exemption was granted to learners on farms who continued to be transported. A process was initiated to verify routes and the number of learners to be transported. A new system was introduced for the application of learners to be transported. This had resulted in the verified number of learners being 53 000. The Executive Council had by that time taken a decision to transfer the programme to the Department of Transport. The programme had by then been transferred to the Department of Transport. The Department of Transport would be responsible for the physical transportation of learners and coordinate all matters relating to the physical transportation, including but not limited to verify safety issues, contracting and managing suppliers. It was reported that the Education Department would remain responsible for determining requirements and coordinating all activities relating to managing the participation of schools in the programme.