Picture: Transport Month celebtraion in South Africa
By BAKANG MOKOTO
16 October 2024- October has been set aside as a Transport Month in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) since 2005. According to the North West University (Potchefstroom campus) Communication Specialist, Bertie Jacobs, this is being done because the transport sector is essential to the country’s well-being.
Jacobs said people should imagine the human body and all the veins that run through it. He further said these rivers beneath the skin carry the lifeblood.
“They are the undercurrent of life’s pulse, and they work steadily and tirelessly carrying all the oxygen and nutrients we need to survive. The transport sector are the veins within our nation, and they carry the lifeblood of our economy.
“From distant towns to urban centres, it returns the vital flow of goods and people to sustain industry and life. In 2024, South Africa’s transport sector teeters between decay and potential renaissance,” said Jacobs.
He added that an intricate web of rail, road, and air networks keeps the nation moving, but corruption and crumbling infrastructure hamper progress. Jacobs said there are a number of important questions to be asked.
“Do we have the resources and capabilities to stem this backward tide? Can we make the necessary upgrades to patch the deep wounds in our transport sector, or do we merely have band-aids for a system in flux? Our transport sector is determining and will determine South Africa’s economic trajectory.
“Are we heading in the right direction? At the North West University, we have undertaken to find answers and provide possible solutions for the problems plaguing our transport sector,” he said.
He said they do this through their research, the establishment of partnerships within industry and government as well as through their teaching and learning, where we equip students with the skills and expertise to make discernible, impactful contributions to the sector.
Jacobs said their theme for Transport Month is: “How transport gives the country’s economy traction, and it all starts here.”
The Guardian 