Madam Chair, I thank the hon member. I think what the hon member is raising is critical to the safety of our learners. Indeed, we as the Department of Basic Education have a responsibility to ensure that our learners arrive at school in safe transportation.
The inspection of vehicles is, in some instances, overseen by the Department of Basic Education, although the fact is that in some of the provinces the responsibility is assumed by the provincial departments. In two of the provinces the responsibility has been taken over by the Department of Transport, as in the North West, for example. We cannot prescribe to a province what agency it should use, but we do state the minimum standards with regard to the safety of vehicles and the prohibition of overcrowding of vehicles. The concerns that we express are the concerns we have to raise.
Transport is a very difficult challenge that we face. If you take areas such as Limpopo, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, and you go to the deep rural areas and look at the conditions of the roads and the availability of public transport, you begin to understand much more empathetically the enormous challenges that we face. However, we do subscribe to the view that we have to do whatever is necessary in the best interests of the learner, in order to ensure that his or her journey to the school is one that is easy and safe. I thank you for your contribution.