Disruptive Transport Technologies And The Future Of Transport In South Africa

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Internet of Things - these are a few of the many technologies that have caused disruptions around the world and allowed the future of technology to progress at an exponential rate. A disruptive technology is one that plans to enhance or replace an existing technology, rendering it obsolete. The disruption that occurs is designed to succeed the current technology to provide better efficiency, workability and performance to the system it is implemented in (Smith, 2018). Such a disruption is a nation’s way of indicating that it is ready to take the next step in moving toward a society whose systems, technologies and processes are based on a set of advanced principles that are fuelled by the need for innovation. Disruptions in processes are needed for growth, although the risk of failure is always present. The earliest known disruption in transport occurred in 1900 in New York, where mobility in the city went from using primarily horse drawn transport to automobiles in only 13 years (Hewitt, 2018). The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in autonomous vehicles, for example, seemed to be the golden egg in the worldwide effort to reduce traffic congestion by eliminating the uncertainty in drivers. However, the implementation of such a system is complex with many issues arising regarding various aspects, which makes the term “self-driving” cars seem far-fetched. Disruptions are present throughout the world and although the implementation of autonomous vehicles may take longer in some countries, many other disruptions in transportation are occurring in and around Africa that are shaping the future of the transport industry. Once this current transportation infrastructure in and around South Africa is improved, a successful disruption can be considered. This essay assesses the impact of disruptive transport technologies around the world and also provides a description of South Africa’s current transport infrastructure and whether or not South Africa is ready for future transport disruptions.