Rural transportation and social inclusion challenges and opportunities: a case study in north west province – ngaka modiri molema district

Abstract

Transport planning has mostly focused on urban areas, transport infrastructural developments, and funds. These have all channeled to urban areas. However, recent research and transport plans, policies, and strategies are now incorporating rural areas into building better sustainable transport systems. One such predominantly rural area in the North West Province is Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality (NMMDM) which is one of the four districts within the province. Its capital city is Mahikeng which is also the provincial capital city of the North West Province. NMMDM is largely rural and is made up of eight (8) towns, twenty-one (21) townships, 198 villages, and 103 wards. The paper used secondary data sources of NMMDM and national transport plans, Acts, policies, and general literature. It focuses on transport modes that are mostly used within the district which include non-motorised transport (NMT), minibus taxis, and a subsidized bus system. It will further discuss the rural road infrastructural challenges as key components to measure the accessibility and social inclusion of users in the district. The paper then recommends potential solutions to improve rural transport and social inclusion, including amongst others, the need for more investments in rural road infrastructure, with walkways being prioritized as the majority of the NMMDM population use walking as their means of transport. It also recommends maintenance of existing infrastructure, as well as monitoring, and evaluation of all road networks in rural areas. The study further recommends transport stakeholders' participation maximization, to ensure inclusivity.