Download PDFThere are different methods of transportation in South Africa, which can be by road, railway, air or sea. Research shows that majority of people in South Africa use informal minibus taxis and shared taxis as their main mode of transport.
Transportation is a socioeconomic issue and it contributes to pollution or adds to traffic congestion. It is a subject that is interconnected with class, race, ability, urban planning and much more.
When transport systems are efficient, they provide economic and social opportunities along with benefits that result in positive multiplier effects such as better accessibility to markets, employment, and additional investments.
In my perspective poor transport services has a role and impact on unemployment because there is a lot of taxi and bus breakdowns everyday in the morning, which means that people going to work are late 70% of the time. In most cases these people lose their jobs as they are seen as incompetent. Research shows that transportation is an economic and social factor that impacts people’s daily lives.
If we look at the school transports, firstly, the vehicles used are not in good condition. Secondly, the number of children in a given vehicle is usually more than the limit the car is certified to carry. Other disadvantages are that children arrive dirty at school because of being cramped up in the transport vehicle.
This is an issue that is linked to socioeconomic factors because, the households from which the kids are being transported come from consist of either parents that are unemployed or parents that work a lot of hours and get paid less. Therefore they resort to these kind of transport services since it is what they can afford and it accommodates the schedule that they are working under.
For this matter to be resolved, there should be a school transport association which will certify cars as roadworthy and safe for children. There should also be a verification process of the driver whether he is qualified to drive or not.
In terms of public transport, maintenance should be implemented more as constant breakdowns signal poor maintenance. In addition to that the jobs, the commuters should also be considered as well with understanding of the fact that commuters pay for the transport services. It is not for free.
This article is an opinion piece submitted on 24 February 2023. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of Karibu! Online or Khanya College. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
