JP Brand pupils stranded without bus service

THE parents of pupils at JP Brand Primary School outside Walvis Bay are appealing to the local business community to help them solve their current transport crisis.

The Ekonolux bus service, which has been transporting hostel pupils to school after weekends and holidays at home, has notified the school that it may terminate its service due to financial challenge.

According to the notice, the three buses transporting the children have been damaged due to the poor condition of the road.

Fleet controller of Ekonolux Iline Bezuidenthout confirmed that the bus service has been under a lot of strain.

“We really tried to help, but the business is suffering. There is also no network coverage in the area, and it is difficult for our drivers to get help when the buses experience mechanical failures on the road. The road conditions are really bad in that area. We also do not get any profit from the money that we charge. Our buses have been severely damaged. We really feel bad about the children, but we have to terminate the trips” said Bezuidenhout.

Some 279 pupils are transported to the school at N$70 per return trip per pupil.

This would normally cost about N$300 per pupil as the school is situated 45 km outside Walvis Bay.

“It is really unfortunate, but we also understand the company’s side. They have been helping the pupils for about seven years, not thinking about profit. I recently found one of the buses broken down along the road. The management said they had to pay another N$45 000 to replace the part that was broken. The company said it has to use diesel worth N$6 000 per bus per trip, and our children are transported in three buses,” school principal Anna-Maldrid Josti says.

The school was founded in 1979 to accommodate the Topnaar community at the Utuseb village, but currently caters to pupils from different parts of the country.

Josti says pupils used to not return to school after school holidays and weekends, before the company offered their transportation service seven years ago.

She says it would be unfortunate if the situation had to repeat itself, as pupils are already behind with their schoolwork due to the Covid-19 pandemic and regulations as a result thereof.

The parents and the school had a meeting on Saturday to resolve the issue.

Suggestions included asking the Road Authority to improve the condition of the road, increase the transportation fee per pupil, and approaching fishing factories requesting the use of their buses.

Some parents, however, cannot afford an increased fee.

“It is a setback to parents. It was at short notice. We are trying to see how we can get our children to school at an affordable price. We are appealing to the nation and the business community to help us with donations, suggestions and an affordable service,” Alexandrine Katjizembwa, one of the parents, said.

“We are really trying as parents and hope that someone can meet us halfway. We heard that the owner of the company is out of the country. We hope we can negotiate further if we agree to increase the fee, although it would be hard on some people, especially those with up to three children,” Jesaya Indongo, another parent, said.