Page 28 - Bophelo - Edition Two | March 2025
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Rising Temperatures,






            Rising Risks:









            Safeguarding Health in South Africa’s



            Minibus Taxi Rides







            A new study by the South African Medical Research     •     How do these indoor temperatures compare with                    Passenger Perceptions                                collaboration, research, and outreach in tackling this
            Council’s (SAMRC) Climate Change and Health Research      the outdoor environment?                                                                                                issue reflects the organisation’s goal of creating a safer,
            Programme has turned the spotlight on the risks of heat                                                                      Another branch of the SAMRC’s work also recently     healthier environment for all.
            exposure in a surprising but essential setting: the minibus   The study’s findings were alarming: temperatures inside        examined  heat  health  perceptions in  the  minibus
            taxi sector.                                          minibus taxis reached as high as 39°C. For drivers, who                taxi sector within Tshwane. This study, conducted in
                                                                  spend more than 11 hours a day in these vehicles, this                 partnership with the City of Tshwane (CoT) and the
            As temperatures steadily rise worldwide, the impact   extreme heat poses a daily health risk. For passengers, it             Tshwane Taxi Industry (TTI), revealed valuable insights
            on vulnerable  populations  becomes more  severe.  For   is also a serious concern. Professor Caradee Wright, Head           into how passengers perceive and cope with heat-related
            people like pregnant women, young children, the elderly,   of the SAMRC Climate Change and Health Programme,                 discomfort. Led by Professor Wright and a team of SAMRC
            and those with disabilities, heat exposure isn’t just   emphasised  the  gravity  of  the  situation.  “More  than           researchers, the study collected responses detailing the
            uncomfortable, it’s a threat to their health. Yet, many lack   16 million South Africans rely on minibus taxis as their      frequent experiences of headaches, dizziness, sweating,
            access to crucial resources that could protect them from   primary mode of transport. This high demand, coupled              and confusion among passengers. The findings will soon
            dangers like dehydration, exhaustion, and heat stroke   with a lack of shade and access to drinking water at taxi            be published in the South African Journal of Science.
            while using minibus taxis and this research reveals that   ranks, calls for immediate intervention.”
            both drivers and passengers in minibus taxis are facing                                                                      Funded  by  the  National  Research  Foundation  and  the
            dangerous heat levels.                                Solutions to Combat Dangerous Heat                                     SAMRC, the study, titled “Assessing Heat-Related Health
                                                                                                                                         Perceptions  in  the  Minibus  Taxi  Industry  in  Tshwane”
            Titled “Heat Exposure and Health Risks in the Minibus   The SAMRC study didn’t stop at highlighting the problem,             highlights the need for quick and effective adaptations to
            Taxi Sector,” the study explores just how significant this   it  also  outlined  actionable  solutions  to  alleviate  the   protect public health in the face of rising temperatures.
            issue has become for one of South Africa’s most widely   heat burden on minibus taxi users. The team proposed                The SAMRC acknowledges the invaluable support of
            used transportation systems. Collaborating with partners   repositioning taxi engines to reduce heat within the              numerous partners,  including the  Castle Gate  Mall,
            like the National Treasury Cities Support Programme, the   cabin, darkening or tinting windows to minimise sunlight,         which is crucial for moving forward with solutions that
            Swiss State Secretariat of Economic Affairs, the World   and  strategically  installing  fans  to  improve  airflow.  The    safeguard millions of South Africans relying on minibus
            Bank’s City Resilience Programme, and a minibus taxi   research group plans to expand this study with a larger               taxis each day.
            association, the SAMRC aimed to find answers to three   sample  size  in  Johannesburg  and  Nairobi,  and  more
            essential questions:                                  public awareness  through materials like  posters and                  With  South  Africa’s  scorching  summers  and  the  effects
            •     Are drivers and passengers in minibus taxis exposed  flyers,  encouraging  stakeholders  across  the  sector  to       of climate change intensifying, heat-related health issues
                to extreme heat?                                  engage in this pressing issue.                                         in the transport sector are likely to escalate without
            •     What  specific  heat  conditions  do  they  experience                                                                 meaningful intervention. The SAMRC’s commitment to
                within the vehicles?




            26    THE SOUTH AFRICAN MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL                                                                                                                                                     THE COMMUNITY ISSUE         27
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