Perspectives on the future of personal transport in South Africa

Abstract

Being a developing middle income country, South Africa has considerable transportation challenges. Car ownership and use are rising with improved economic conditions, but congestion on the road network is worsening all the time. Retaining public transport users is costing more in the form of operating and capital subsidies. The road safety situation is poor when compared to international benchmarks, and can be considered a national crisis. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate current trends and to provide some perspective on where South Africa could be heading with respect to these issues.