The Eastern Cape government is expected to engage with taxi operators contracted to the scholar transport services in the province.

Premier Oscar Mabuyane says the meeting will seek to resolve the impasse over non-payment and delayed payment of service providers.

Thousands of learners, especially from rural areas, were left stranded as scholar transport operators suspended their services on Monday.

The Alfred Nzo and OR Tambo regions are mainly affected.

Provincial Government Spokesperson, Khuselwa Rantjie, says the meeting will take place in East London on Wednesday.

“Premier Oscar Mabuyane will meet all the relevant stakeholders tomorrow, including the Department of Transport as the custodian of the service to urgently address the matter and ensure that the restoration of scholar transport services across the province. In the interim, the Department of Transport has deployed a dedicated task team to work closely with the affected operators on matters of compliance which are largely at the centre of this challenge,” says Rantjie.