| Students test prototypes
to ease rural transport problems |
|
 Three
industrial design students from the Cape Peninsula University of
Technology tested prototypes of bicycles, load-bearing tricycles
and multi-purpose trolleys in the deep rural North-West province
this past fortnight.
Their objective was to establish whether the
communities of Mathopestat and Pitsedisulejang would buy into
their ideas, as part of the feedback and review session on Interdesign
2005 being held at the end of September. |
| South African designers
stand to benefit from Interdesign 2005 |
|
 South
African designers who participated in Interdesign 2005 have the
opportunity to get involved with the development of prototypes
of the designs generated and will eventually be able to commercialise
them into viable products. This was decided after the closing
ceremony of Interdesign 2005 held in Rustenburg this past Saturday.
|
| Top Indian designer
in Rustenburg to solve problems around rural transport
|
|
 There
are definite parallels between India and South Africa in the field
of development, but there are also great differences.
This is the opinion of Prof. M P Ranjan of the Faculty of Industrial
Designers, National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, India.
|
| North-West community
leaders voice their opinions at Interdesign 2005 |
|
 "A
bicycle with a canopy will never withstand the wind that sweeps
over the plains of the North-West Province." "Donkeys
refuse to walk in pouring rain and get killed because cars cannot
see them at night."
These were some of the comments raised this past Saturday by
community leaders from Mathopestat, Syferbult and Pitsedisuleyang
in the Rustenburg area during the preliminary presentations held
at the Interdesign 2005 workshop currently taking place in Rustenburg.
|
| Designers from around
the world gather in Rustenburg |
|
| Interdesign, a two-week workshop on sustainable rural transport
was officially launched by Mr Martin Kuscus, chief executive officer
of the SABS on Sunday afternoon. In the course of the two weeks,
the designers will work in four groups, designing animal-drawn
carts, bicycles and tricycles, alternative modes of transport
and considering the communication aspects related to the issue
of sustainable rural transport.
|
| World-class designers
to focus on sustainable rural transport |
|
Looking at sustainable alternative modes of transport for rural
areas is vitally important when the following facts are considered:
More that 60 % of rural households in South Africa say that public
transport is not available to them or too far away to access.
Of the almost 16 million learners who travel to school every day,
76% (or 12 million) walk. About 550 000 children spend more than
two hours a day walking to and from schools. These are some of
the facts contained in the latest National Travel Survey, shortly
to be released by the National Department of Transport.
|
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