Civil Engineering September 2022 | Vol 30 No 8

Civil Engineering September 2022 37 NMMDM. Streets and sidewalks have a significant impact on people with disabili- ties (Vanderschuren and Nnene, 2021). Inappropriate design and construction standards are followed, as most of the sur- faced roads and public transport within the district do not enhance the universal design standards nor NMT. Surfaced roads within the district lack walkways, excluding vulnerable persons from ac- cessing socio-economic opportunities. THE IMPACT OF TRANSPORT ON THE RURAL ECONOMY NMMDM contributed 19.75% to the North West province’s GDP of R291 billion in 2018, and 1.18% to the national GDP. The district is largely rural, made up of eight towns, 21 townships, 198 villages, and 103 wards (IDP, 2021). 90% of the district population resides in traditional authority areas, which are mostly in rural villages. However, irrespective of how rural NMMDM is, it has key economic drivers that include agriculture, tourism, and mining (Kalgold, Slurry, Sephaku, Lafarge, Majemantsho informal mine, Diamond informal mine) (IDP, 2021). All these eco- nomic drivers need effective and efficient transport, which largely depends on infra- structure provision. Lastly, the district has three TVET colleges and one university. TRANSPORT ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY Poor access to transport constrains economic and social development and contributes to poverty. Better transport services can stimulate economic activity and social improvement, leading to easier access and a virtuous circle that reduces poverty and improves the lives of poor rural residents. Improving rural residents’ access to essential services requires better mobility through transport infrastructure and services as well as the location, price, and quality of facilities (Starkey ed., 2002). Rural dwellers face many challenges, including: Q Q Long walking time to opportunities Q Q Low income and high unemployment Q Q Unpaved road infrastructure Q Q Lack of good quality public transport services at an affordable fare. The cost of living is a central issue in both developed and developing countries. Day- to-day travel costs, paired with high en- ergy and fuel prices, pushes the transport affordability issue to the forefront of the transport policy space – a key component to poverty alleviation (Venter, 2011). According to StatsSA (2020), North West has the largest proportion (>50%) of persons who use minibus taxis as the main mode of travel. However, at the district level, especially in the core study area, walking is the dominant mode of transport. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This paper used the reflective learning technique to disentangle critical gaps in rural passenger and transport infrastruc- ture in the North West province, focusing on NMMDM. Reflective learning is a process of reflecting on all sources of knowledge that can help understand a situation, including personal sources and experience (Fullana et al. 2016). The secondary data of NMMDM, along with national transport plans, policies, strategies, and literature, was used to reflect on the status of the rural transport infrastructure and the plans set aside by the government. FINDINGS Opportunities and social inclusion Transport provides people with access to opportunities, goods, and services (Goosen, 2016; Cromhout, 2016). Accessibility to transportation enhances the life opportunities of society by improving their social participation and economic status, which results in an economically productive society. This is because it creates interaction within a society and enables individuals to participate in economic activities which lead to economic growth and social development, as well as greatly influences society’s interaction with their environ- ment (Goosen, 2016). The adherence of transport infrastructure to universal design requirements has the potential to enhance the objective of social inclusion and flexible transport modal integrations. NMT continues to gain momentum within the district through the promo- tion of scholar transport objectives. The Department of Community Safety and Transport Management has managed to supply 707 bicycles to learners and 80 animal drawn carts to deserving communities (DITP, 2019). NMT is slowly developing, considering the main mode within the district is walking. This emphasises the need for non-motorised pool investment to develop and grow the Figure 5 Disaneng internal road (Source: Authors and Boipelo Mere) Poor access to transport constrains economic and social development and contributes to poverty. Better transport services can stimulate economic activity and social improvement, leading to easier access and a virtuous circle that reduces poverty and improves the lives of poor rural residents. Improving rural residents’ access to essential services requires better mobility through transport infrastructure and services as well as the location, price, and quality of facilities (Starkey ed., 2002).