Blog – Transport Safety

Using the data gathered through the app, the Flone Initiative aims to create a comprehensive database on gender-based violence hotspots across Kenya, particularly on public transport and other public transport spaces, so that Kenyan women can plan safer journeys for themselves and their loved ones. The data will also give government authorities, public transport operators, and civil society movements a deeper understanding of gender-based violence across Kenya, identifying unmet needs, raising public awareness and helping to shape policy on safety in public spaces.

State capture at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has led to the dysfunction of the commuter rail system. PRASA employs approximately 434 security personnel in the Western Cape. However, there are huge problems with these security contractors.The terrible legacy of those that engaged in State Capture will take years to undo. Commuters need to see improvements. A lot needs to be done regarding safety and security in trains.

In 2017, Azwi Netshikulwe and Ncedo Mngqibisa, Researchers at the Safety and Violence Initiative (SaVI) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), conducted fieldwork in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng focusing on political assassinations and taxi violence. The fieldwork was part of a study conducted by UCT’s Centre for Criminology and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime (GITOC) in collaboration with SaVI. This article is based on findings from this fieldwork.