M.Comm. / This dissertation explores the links between social exclusion and public transport in both the urban and rural context of South Africa, taking into account an increasing awareness to conserve energy and to reposition public transport in a more cost-effective manner. High levels of poverty and social inequality and their effects on crime, unemployment, poor education, disability and bad health are major policy focii for most political parties and government. Inadequate transport is increasingly being recognised as a barrier to employment as well as other key activities and is thus an important contributing and reinforcing factor in people’s continued poverty and social exclusion. In general, public transport is often expensive, unsafe, unreliable and uncomfortable. In many cases, it fails to provide access to key services. Travelling distances from home to work can also be very long resulting in excessive journey times. Low income households, not only in the rural areas but also in the inner cities, often cannot access adequate transport. This dissertation intends to make a contribution to the understanding of social exclusion in the South African context by deepening our knowledge about how and why people are excluded. It will identify and articulate the transport problems that socially disadvantaged people experience on a daily basis and will demonstrate how this affects their livelihoods. A major output of this research is to make practical recommendations for the provision of seamless transport services that will promote social cohesion. Although many textbooks on marketing stress the need to segment the market, this study suggests that in the field of public transport in South Africa at the present time, a segmented approach is inappropriate and that a standard approach be adopted in terms of which the same basic level and quality of service should be offered to the entire community. This study will draw attention to the fact that in cities in India, the poor and the rich often live close to each other – a situation that applies equally to South Africa. In these circumstances, the most appropriate policy would be to introduce a service that offers a consistent quality of service into all areas. The study will also refer to the need to obtain value for money, taking into account the ever-increasing cost of energy, its future availability (or lack thereof) and the need to adopt practices that are more environmentally sensitive than before.

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