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A Case Study of the Sustainable Mobility Problem–Solution Paradox: Motility and Access of Metrorail Commuters in the Western Cape

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  • Zinette Bergman

    (Social Research and Methodology Group, University of Basel, Rheinsprung 24, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
    Department of Psychology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa)

  • Manfred Max Bergman

    (Social Research and Methodology Group, University of Basel, Rheinsprung 24, 4051 Basel, Switzerland)

Abstract

Public transport in general and passenger trains in particular are often advertised as solutions to mobility challenges due to their relatively low carbon footprint, high commuter load, high public safety, and contribution to reduced road congestion. But, how do these advantages apply to contexts characterized by inequality, poverty, and exclusion, and where train infrastructure is underdeveloped and poorly maintained? In this study, we examine the imaginaries and their associated transport predispositions of Metrorail users in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Based on 31 interviews conducted with Metrorail users, we explored how they conceptualize access to and use of mobility. The conceptual framework for this is provided by the Motility concept as developed by Kaufmann, Bergman, and Joye. Findings show that the context and culture defining the daily lives of Metrorail users reflect a reality, which is far removed from the way we theorize sustainable mobility. The limitations of spatial and social inequality, which create the mobility boundaries of Motility for these commuters, reveal a significant gap between their lives and the policies aimed to foster our sustainable mobility future. Despite this, the commuters of our study are highly mobile, and we end this article with an attempt to align these conflicting domains of dysfunctional contexts, mobility practices, and sustainability ideals.

Suggested Citation

  • Zinette Bergman & Manfred Max Bergman, 2019. "A Case Study of the Sustainable Mobility Problem–Solution Paradox: Motility and Access of Metrorail Commuters in the Western Cape," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-17, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:10:p:2842-:d:232372
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Wai Ming To & Andy W. L. Chung, 2023. "Carbon-Neutrality Research in China—Trends and Emerging Themes," World, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-19, August.
    3. Zinette Bergman, 2019. "Trains in the Land of the Car: A Case Study of Mobility as Agency in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-12, November.
    4. María del Carmen Pérez-Peña & Mercedes Jiménez-García & José Ruiz-Chico & Antonio Rafael Peña-Sánchez, 2021. "Transport Poverty with Special Reference to Sustainability: A Systematic Review of the Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-13, January.
    5. Zinette Bergman & Manfred Max Bergman, 2022. "Toward Sustainable Communities: A Case Study of the Eastern Market in Detroit," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-14, April.
    6. Woo Jang & Fei Yuan & Jose Javier Lopez, 2021. "Investigating Sustainable Commuting Patterns by Socio-Economic Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, February.
    7. Mohammed Alshamlan & Aos Alzahrani & Musaad BinYousef & Abdelhakim Abdelhadi & Khaled Akkad & Rakan Alyamani, 2022. "Optimization for Sustainable Train Shunting Services Using DMAIC Cycle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-13, February.

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