"SUSTAINABLE RURAL TRANSPORT - Technology for developing countries"   FOCUS AREAS CONTACTS
Interdesign 2005
TRANSPORT IN SOUTH AFRICA
RURAL TRANSPORT
 

The National Department of Transport of South Africa has a National Strategy on Rural Transport in place. It aims to develop balanced and sustainable rural transport systems by supporting local infrastructure and services.

The following information has been summarised from the strategy.

Context
The plight of rural people has been highlighted by numerous policy studies and considerable public awareness has been created via the media. Whereas 50% of the population of South Africa is rural, the rural areas contain 72% of those members of the total population who are poor. Compared to their urban counterparts, rural people also have vastly inferior access to basic social services and the economic mainstream. Given this context, the delivery of rural transport infrastructure and services can be a significant catalyst for sustainable economic development, improved social access and poverty alleviation in South Africa’s rural areas.

Defining “rural transport”
In the National Strategy on Rural Transport the term “Rural Transport” is defined as follows: “…The movement of persons and goods for any conceivable purpose (including collection of water or firewood), by any conceivable means (including walking and head loading) on various types of infrastructure (including unproclaimed roads, tracks and footpaths). ” Bryceson & Howe, 1992.

This implies that

  • the mode of travel does not necessarily need to be motorised or conventional, but should be suitable, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable;
  • a wide variety of mode choices and trip purposes has to be considered during rural transport planning and service delivery.

Scope of the rural transport infrastructure and services
The delivery of rural transport infrastructure and services includes the following main categories and related delivery actors:

  • Rural transport infrastructure – not only access roads, but also district roads, public transport interchanges, tracks and other non-motorised transport infrastructure – provided mainly by the provincial and local spheres of government, the National Department of Public Works (NDPW) and the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) – all of which are directly or indirectly involving communities and creating local construction-related jobs
  • Village-level or intra-farm transportation, where communities – particularly women – and farmers themselves provide transport services that involve head loading, as well as the use of non-motorised and intermediate means of transport (such as tractor-trailers), trucks and light delivery vehicles (LDVs)
  • Rural passenger and (small-volume) freight transport services to and from “deep”, rural areas, where operators of LDVs (the so-called “bakkie sector”) and animal-drawn carts are the main service providers
  • Passenger transport services along the main connector routes (to towns, clinics and other facilities), served mainly by combi-taxis, converted LDVs and – in some areas – subsidised bus services
  • Special needs transportation services – to address the needs of persons with disabilities, the elderly, trauma and non-emergency patients, learners and tourists – provided, either in-house by the relevant sectors or on an out-sourced basis
  • Bulk freight transportation to and from processing plants, distribution centres, markets and suppliers– provided mainly by commercial producers and transport operators

Main challenges listed in the National Rural Transport Strategy for SA

1. To overcome the “big jump” in access opportunities from the village to the nearest town centre
2. To increase and adjust the allocation of rural transport investment – inclusive of scholar transport and various other sector-specific transport services to address special needs (e.g. the needs of HIV-AIDS patients), non-motorised transport infrastructure and services, as well as rural freight and postal services, rural logistical services and the full range of ICT-based services (ICT= Information and Commercialisation Technologies)
3. To regulate rural transport operations and safety
4. Institutional alignment and transformation in the rural roads sector
5. Aligning rural transport and interlinked functional areas
6. To address capacity building and monitoring issues, especially to chart and maintain a sustainable development agenda

Existing Rural Transport Service Modes

  • Bus and minibus services
  • Bakkies & LDV’s
  • Non-motorised means of transport (NMT)
  • Intermediate means of transport (IMT)

Intermediate Means of Transport (IMT) include

  • Wheelbarrows
  • Handcarts
  • Pack donkeys
  • Sledges
  • Animal-drawn carts
  • Bicycles & bicycle trailers
  • Motorised vehicles like tractor-trailers and trucks

Non-Motorised Transport Modes (NMT) include

  • Walking with/without head load
  • Donkeys / Horses
  • Wheelbarrows
  • Handcarts
  • Animal-drawn vehicles
  • Bicycles
  • Bicycle trailers
  • Tricycles
 
RURAL TRANSPORT - LINKS

The following websites are very informative:

Sustainable Rural Transport southern Africa:
A rural transport information portal containing a wealth of information on rural transport in South Africa and links to more information. SusTrans SA is a site and service of CSIR's Transportek Division. This site and service is intended to spark greater information sharing amongst public transport officials, researchers, policy-makers and product and service providers.

ATNESA
The Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (ATNESA) was formed in 1990 to improve information exchange and regional cooperation relating to animal draft power. The network aims to unite researchers, manufacturers, development workers, institutions and the users of animal traction in the region. Membership of the network is open to all individuals and organisations interested in its objectives.

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT
The Department of Transport focuses on policy formulation, strategic planning and regulation.

IFRTD
The International Forum for Rural Transport and Development is a global network of individuals and representatives from government, academia, multilateral and bilateral donor agencies, consultancies and technical institutions, national and international NGOs and groups of community organisations in 83 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America.

Planning Rural Roads in Developing Countries
This site, dealing with socio economic, engineering and environmental issues surrounding road construction and maintenance from an historical perspective, has been established by David Tighe, a consultant involved in the planning, appraisal and evaluation of projects in about twenty five developing countries for bilateral and multilateral agencies.

Animal Traction
Intermediate means of transport, including cycles and carts, fill the gap between expensive motor vehicles and tedious human effort. This website show the importance of local transport solutions to rural development is explored with the help of many photos.