Civil Engineering September 2022 | Vol 30 No 8

34 September 2022 Civil Engineering T ransport is vital in the provision of sustainable social and economic growth and development. It is a key catalyst in addressing geographical spatial distortion and inequalities that result in the poverty gap between low-, middle-, and high-income earners. Public transport is the core focus to provide affordable mobility for society as it has an opportunity for cross-subsidisation. Over the years, transport in urban areas has taken priority over rural transport (Chaithoo and Vebkatesh, 2010). Before 2007, the National Department of Transport (NDoT) developed a Rural Transport Strategy for South Africa (RTSSA), which aimed to address the chal- lenges affecting rural transport and pro- vide opportunities for potential investment in rural areas to address socio-economic crises in the country (NDoT, 2007). The NDoT also developed policies such as the National Transport Policy White Paper, National Transport Master Plan (NATMAP), National Learner Transport Policy, and land use and transport plans to support nodal and linkage development, both in urban and rural areas. This paper aims to highlight the importance of rural transportation and to articulate challenges and opportuni- ties affecting rural transport users in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality (NMMDM). The paper further discusses the state of NMMDM road infrastructure to identify the extent to which access to opportunities can be improved. Lastly, the paper highlights the imperativeness of social inclusion. This paper focuses only on the main transport modes used within the district, which include non-motorised transport (NMT), minibus taxis, and a subsidised bus system, and further assesses rural road infrastructure to measure the accessibility and social inclusion of users in NMMDM. CASE STUDY AREA NMMMD is one of four districts found in North West province. The district includes the capital city (Mahikeng) of the province and covers a land area of approximately 28 114 km 2 . NMMMD Letlhogonolo Joshua Kgori Transport Economist Intern: Transport Planning and Policy Development Directorate North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management joshuakgori98@gmail.com Retshepile Jakobo Assistant Director: Transport Policies and Strategies Directorate Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works jakobors@gmail.com This paper was awarded the SAICE Transport Engineering Division’s award for the Best Paper by a Young Professional (under 35) at the 2022 Southern African Transport Conference. Rural transportation and social inclusion challenges and opportunities: a case study in North West province – Ngaka Modiri Molema District Figure 1 Map of the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality (Source: National Government of SA, 2022)