It’s time for safe, reliable, and empowering public transport for all!

July 18, 2025

Every morning, across towns, townships, rural areas, and cities, millions of South Africans step out with purpose – heading to work, school, or social activities. They board buses, taxis, and trains with a single expectation: to reach their destinations safely. But increasingly, writes NELISIWE MKHABELA, this simple hope is being threatened by violence, intimidation, crime, and insecurity.

As the Southern African Bus Operators Association (SABOA), we believe that safety is a shared journey. It doesn’t begin or end with one operator, vehicle, community or government department. The commuters who wake up early to catch the first bus often rely on taxis to reach the bus stations, or buses to connect with train stations. We are all linked: when one mode is unsafe, the entire experience becomes uncertain and fragile.

From intimidation, hijackings, and robberies to attacks on infrastructure – and, heartbreakingly, the burning of buses – operators across all modes are under pressure. Bus companies fear not only for the safety of their passengers, but for the safety of their drivers and fleets. Every time a bus is set alight, a driver’s life is endangered and a community’s mobility is disrupted. Taxi operators and rail operators face the same threats in different ways and, in the end, it is the ordinary South African – the student, the employee, the elderly person – who is left stranded, fearful, and delayed.

These are not abstract challenges, but real stories that our members and communities live every day. While technology is helping – through CCTV, panic buttons, and smart fleet monitoring – what’s needed most is unity: a collective, urgent response.

SABOA proudly supports the Minister of Transport’s commitment to safer, more integrated public transport. We believe partnerships between operators, SAPS, metro police, taxi associations, PRASA, Gautrain, and local communities must be deepened and prioritised. Safety cannot wait. Whether you’re in a township in Tshwane, a suburb in the Western Cape, or a village in KwaZulu-Natal, your right to safe travel must be upheld.

We draw inspiration from operators who are already stepping up – like Gautrain, whose feeder buses and secure stations offer a model for what’s possible when infrastructure, innovation, and intent come together; the bus companies running safety workshops with SAPS; or the bus and taxi drivers who, despite their fear, continue to serve with courage and pride.

As SABOA, we are committed to walking this path with all partners. Through open dialogue, technical forums, and clear commitments, we are pushing for more visible policing, stronger community engagement, and practical safety upgrades. Most importantly, though, we listen to our stakeholders, our operators, our drivers, our commuters, and our communities – because they know what works, and what hurts.

Safe, secure public transport also has wider benefits we cannot ignore. When people feel confident that their bus, taxi, or train is safe and reliable, they are more willing to leave private vehicles at home and commute together. This reduces congestion on our roads, eases daily traffic jams, cuts carbon emissions, and moves us closer to a cleaner, more sustainable future for all South Africans. The safer our shared transport, the fewer cars we need on the road – and the more connected our communities become.

This is why we urge all stakeholders – government, operators, law enforcement, and communities – to stand together, because we all share one common goal: to transport commuters safely every day. A safer, stronger public transport system will encourage more people to trust buses, taxis, and trains. In doing so, we reduce the number of individual cars on our roads, ease traffic, and help protect our environment for generations to come.

The truth is that safe public transport is about more than buses, taxis, or trains – it’s about dignity, hope, and trust. It’s about giving every South African the freedom to move, to dream, and to build a better life. It’s about ensuring that the journey home is never a gamble.

So let us stand together – not just as industry players, but as partners in progress. Let’s build trust across our networks. Let’s secure every rank, every interchange, and every platform. Let’s remind South Africans that they matter – and that their safety is paramount.

At SABOA, we will keep raising our voice for those who keep the country moving. We believe the road to a stronger, safer, and greener transport system is built not just with policy, but with heart. With your partnership, we are ready to drive that change – one safe, sustainable journey at a time.