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23 Apr 2012

The Eastern Cape Department of Transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu together with the Eastern Cape Bus and Taxi Chamber will launch the Eastern Cape Bus Operators Council at the Queenstown Town Hall on Thursday, 26 April 2012 at 10h00.

At the launch, MEC Marawu is expected to present the provincial government plans to improve access to public transport, especially in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape.

According to the National Household Travel Survey, in this Province:

• Only 15.5% of households have access to a car;
• After minibuses (15.9%) the most frequent mode of public transport used was not buses, or trains, but bakkie taxis (4.9%), which is the highest in the country;
• 49.2% of trips were for educational purposes (by far the highest in the country) and 86.3% of these trips to school were walking trips;
• 7% of learners take longer than one hour to get to school and almost 20% take more than 45 minutes, which is also affecting their ability to focus on studies;
• 32% of households spend more than 10% and a shocking 23% are spending more than 20% of income on public transport.
• 49% of households simply have no access to minibuses where they are staying.

This new council has been established by the province’s Small Bus Operators after a mandate was given by the National Department of Transport to revive the 2009 National Bus Structure.

This event will be followed by the launch of the National Bus Council by the end of May 2012.

Media contact:
Ncedo Kumbaca
Director: Communications
Cell: 082 562 6023

Issued by: Eastern Cape Transport
23 Apr 2012

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