The local problem
What a scholar transport business has to show.
- An operating licence that names the school you carry for, and drivers whose permits are current.
- That every learner on the list was collected, carried and delivered, when a parent, a school or a provincial department asks.
- That younger learners had an adult on board, on every run.
- Routes across Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town or Durban that reach each school on time, run after run.
How Trayvar answers it
School transport management for scholar transport operators.
- Each learner taps an NFC card on the driver's phone to board, and the pickup is recorded with its time and GPS location, so the record shows who was on the vehicle (school bus attendance system).
- Route planning sequences every route against vehicle capacity and bell times, overnight and by itself on Growth and Scale, with home pickup beside pickup points on Growth and Scale.
- Parents get a WhatsApp message when their child is picked up, when the vehicle is close and at drop-off, with no app to install (parent notifications).
- Learners who were scheduled but not confirmed aboard are counted on the Live screen, and each school receives a report on its own routes and learners for any period.
The local rules
Scholar transport rules, and where they come from.
- No one may run a road-based public transport service without an operating licence under the National Land Transport Act, and drivers need a professional driving permit under the National Road Traffic Act (National Learner Transport Policy, section 3.2.5).[1]
- An application for a scholar transport operating licence carries the contract or approval letter from the school and certified copies of each driver's professional driving permit (National Land Transport Regulations, regulation 42).[2]
- Each vehicle is marked to show it carries scholars and carries a first-aid kit, and pre-primary and primary learners travel with a teacher or another responsible adult on board (regulation 42).[2]
- The Minister may add requirements by notice in the Gazette, a tracking device among them (regulation 42).[2] Confirm with your provincial regulatory entity which apply to your licence.
- Provincial departments contract only authorised operators with approved vehicles, through public procurement (National Learner Transport Policy, section 3.5.1).[1]
Sources
- Department of Transport, Republic of South Africa, Government Gazette No. 39314 (Notice R. 997, 23 October 2015), National Learner Transport Policy: section 3.2.5 (operating licence under the National Land Transport Act; professional driving permit under the National Road Traffic Act) and section 3.5.1 (only authorised operators with approved vehicles may be contracted, through public procurement). Read 12 November 2026.
- Department of Transport, Republic of South Africa, Government Gazette No. 32821 (Notice R. 1208, 17 December 2009), National Land Transport Regulations: regulation 42 (scholar transport: the application, vehicle markings and first-aid kit, a responsible adult for pre-primary and primary learners, and further requirements the Minister may set by notice, a tracking device among them). Read 12 November 2026.
Pricing in rand
Priced per vehicle, the same for operators and schools.
Trayvar is priced per vehicle per month in US dollars and invoiced in USD unless otherwise agreed. Below, each price is shown in rand at today's exchange rate. Every tier and feature is on the school bus software pricing page.
| Tier | Billed annually | Billed monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Up to 10 vehicles | … USD 47 | … USD 55 |
| Growth Up to 30 vehicles | … USD 38 | … USD 45 |
| Scale 31 or more vehicles | … USD 29 | … USD 34 |
Per vehicle per month. Fetching live rates…. Contracts are invoiced in USD unless otherwise agreed.
Questions and answers
How much does scholar transport software cost in South Africa?
Trayvar is priced per vehicle per month, from $29 to $55 depending on the tier and the billing cycle. This page and the pricing page show each price in rand at today's exchange rate. Contracts are invoiced in USD unless otherwise agreed.
Is there a school bus tracking app in South Africa that shows which learners are aboard?
Trayvar records each learner boarding with an NFC tap on the driver's phone, with the time and GPS location, and counts any learner scheduled but not confirmed aboard. Parents hear on WhatsApp, with no app to install.
Does Trayvar apply for a scholar transport permit for me?
No. The operating licence comes from the provincial regulatory entity, and the application is yours. What Trayvar gives you is the record that follows: every route, every learner aboard and a report for each school you carry for.
Can Trayvar run learner transport under a provincial contract?
It runs the routes you operate under the contract: it plans each route, records each learner and reports on any period. The contract itself is between the operator and the provincial department.
Tell us about your routes.
Tell us your vehicles, the schools you serve and their bell times. We come back within 48 hours.