Civil Engineering September 2022 | Vol 30 No 8

Civil Engineering September 2022 25 journey cost the same, but took 2 hours and 30 minutes. NOTABLE OBSERVATIONS With every leg of the trip, I had to ask for directions. I often felt unsafe to the extent that I could not use my mobile phone to take photographs along the way as originally requested. Hygiene at several of the minibus taxi ranks was not good, and using the nearby toilet facilities while waiting was not an option. Minibus taxis servicing longer distances tended to be in good condition, whereas those servicing shorter distances, including for transfers, tended to be dilapidated. While the Bosman and Springs Station taxi ranks have some passenger rail connection, the train service was not available. On the positive side, the proximity of the minibus taxi rank facilities to super- markets and other forms of trade appears to make life easier for passengers. IMPLICATIONS FOR JOB SEEKERS Most South African job seekers live geographically far away from job opportunities. It is likely that the cost of public transport contributes to the high rate of unemployment in the country. Over and above the direct cost of transport, the time spent travelling, waiting, and transfer- ring between modes of transport has im- plications for the country’s productivity. I calculate that, on the basis of the country’s GDP and the number of productive hours, time costs R54.83 per hour. The cost of waiting in between services is ordinarily not accounted for in the economy. IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY On the basis of the fares paid on my trip to Springs Mall, Figure 1 estimates the relationship between minibus taxi fare and distance travelled for every leg of the trip. It is estimated elsewhere that South Africans spend about 38.18 minutes travelling to work or school over an average distance of 21.90 km ( www. numbeo.com , 2022). Were government to make public transport free for job seekers, as has been proposed by some political parties, it would cost about R250 million per day to subsidise the current volume of job seekers using minibus taxis, assuming the fare struc- ture in Figure 1, and a similar proportion of job seekers as workers making use of minibus taxis. CONCLUDING REMARKS As I ponder my career options post- university, I see that much needs to be done to improve public transport service offerings for job seekers. Without decisive action, public transport services will continue to fail job seekers and worsen unemployment. When transport planners make policy and design recommenda- tions, it is important that they think practically about the lives impacted by their methods and tools. Implementing predictable services will go a long way to improving the lives of job seekers.  It is likely that the cost of public transport contributes to the high rate of unemployment in the country. • Precast concrete plasticising admixtures • Ready-mixed concrete plasticising admixtures • Extended workability polymers • Set retarding admixtures • Hardening accelerators • Viscosity modifying admixtures • Form release agents • Synthetic fibres • Pozzolan-activity mineral additions • Permeability-reducing admixtures • Water-repelling admixtures • Anti-washout admixtures • Expanding agents • Drying shrinkage-reducing admixtures • Clay mitigating admixtures • Pumping aides • Air entraining and foaming agents • Concrete rescue packs • Evaporation-retarding admixtures TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN THE CONCRETE INDUSTRY STARTS WITH MAP PRODUCTS. Learn more at mapei.co.za Tel: +27 11 552 8476 Email: info@mapei.co.za