Light delivery vehicle passenger transport in the Vhembe district of Limpopo province, South Africa

Abstract

In South Africa, particurlaly in rural areas, there is an increasing realisation that formal public transport, were seldom used because they were largely unaffordable and not suited to the poorly developed transport infrastructure and rugged terrain in most rural areas. Faced with such challenges rural community members had no other choice besides frequently relying on LDV, bicycles, animal-drawn carts and even animals such as donkeys to move around. An opportunity worth taking advantage of, is the fact that authorities in South Africa are increasingly recognising the potential of using LDV to accelerate socio-economic development in rural areas .This is informed by indications that the use of LDV (a) fills the gap left by the lack of formal public transport services in large parts of rural South Africa; and (b) provides an invaluable service to residents in remote rural villages. It was further observed that in various provinces and municipalities (including those in rural areas of the Limpopo Province) transport authorities are seeking ways of formalizing the use of LDV to carry passengers. Therefore it is important to contribute to these efforts through evidence-based research.