Transport poverty and social equity in South Africa: Evidence from the national household travel survey

Transport poverty, a dimension of social exclusion, occurs when high costs, long travel times, or limited service availability prevent reliable access to essential opportunities, such as employment, education, and healthcare. South Africa's historically segregated urban planning, urban sprawl, limited provision of public transport, and inadequate implementation of transport policies exacerbate transport poverty. It faces persistent and worsening transport affordability burdens, underscoring the need to measure transport poverty and its spatial distribution rigorously. This study employs a quantitative approach using a descriptive-comparative research design using the Household Budget Survey-based analytical framework. Utilising the 2020 National Household Travel Survey dataset, we test alternative transport poverty matrices, validate one specific to South Africa, and identify vulnerable households and the factors that drive transport poverty through multivariate discrete-choice and mixed logit modelling. The findings reveal that transport poverty is widespread, with approximately 15 million people affected. Household income and transport expenditure, and lack of access to motorised transport, are also significant indicators. There is an urgent need for policy interventions to improve transport accessibility and social equity through increased investment, incentivisation of private sector involvement in PT provision, and stringent measures to protect infrastructure.