An analysis of the views of Minibus Taxi drivers and commuters to road safety : a case study of the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth

People without private transport are dependent on public transportation. Public transport, particularly minibus taxis, is the most popular mode of transport in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth. The objective of the minibus taxi industry is to provide public transport to minibus taxi commuters in an economically, reliable and safe manner. The focus of this case study was to explore and determine the views of minibus taxi commuters who utilised minibus taxis as a form of public transport, as well as the views of minibus taxi drivers in terms of adhering to road safety requirements on Stanford Road in Port Elizabeth. The literature survey revealed that transport in South Africa has had a political dimension arising from the Group Areas Act 41 of 1950. One consequence of this Act, which imposed residential segregation on the country, was that poor black commuters were forced to live far out of town, forcing them to travel long distances to places of work and commercial centres, with a commensurate increase in transport costs. Data was collected by means of two structured questionnaires which were administered to minibus taxi drivers and minibus taxi commuters to explore their views and experience of road safety on Stanford Road in Port Elizabeth. A discussion on the minibus taxi industry, minibus taxi associations and law enforcement agencies in Port Elizabeth, as well as the sustainability of the minibus taxi industry, followed in Chapter Three. Through this case study, valuable insight was gained regarding the minibus taxi industry and road safety in Port Elizabeth. Finally, recommendations to improve road safety were mad