Abstract:
Paratransit provides a valuable service offering as a flexible and substitutional mode between formal
transit and private car. When it evolves to compete with more formal transit modes, efforts are made
to formalise it. As in many developing countries, the South African government generally views paratransit
as a necessary nuisance, emerging and evolving in the absence of more formal transit services. Our
paper aims to contribute by providing a more comprehensive context for the South African case: how
specific Apartheid laws contributed to the formation of the mode and how deregulation provided a fertile
ground for its exponential growth. The industry has evolved into an informal yet well-organised system
that dominates the local transit market. Contrary to the popular view that the industry is an amorphous
whole, this paper aims to create a more people-centred view of an industry that is made up of individuals
trying to carve an existence in a harsh economic environment. We show how, if approached correctly,
paratransit is more likely part of the land use and transport solution, and not a problem as it is often perceived
to be.
