Transport costs for residents of low-income households in Johannesburg have reached a crisis point, with new data showing they are spending even more now to move around the city.
A report released last month by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory highlights sharp spatial and income inequalities, particularly in Johannesburg, where residents living on the citys outskirts face the heaviest burden. The further people live from major employment centres, the more of their income is spent on commuting.
The Suffocating Cost of Transport in the Gauteng City-Region report has revealed that residents in some parts of the city and province are spending as much as 40 to 50 of their income on transport, far above the governments policy benchmark of 10.