Subject: Proposal — Transition SANTACO into an integrated national bus & rail public-transport operator to modernise mobility, cut household transport costs, and create jobs

I write to propose a practical, phased programme to transition SANTACO’s minibus-taxi networks into a formalised, integrated bus and commuter-rail service across South Africa. This initiative aims to deliver reliable mobility for all hours of the day, reduce household transport burdens, unlock evening economic activity and create employment at scale.

Summary of the Plan
• Transform SANTACO from primarily informal minibus operations into regulated, pooled operators supplying scheduled bus services on bus and feeder routes, integrated with commuter rail.
• Deliver core services with a target of 12-minute headways on major corridors and operating hours of 05:00–23:00 (extended where demand requires). This will provide a level of convenience and evening mobility comparable to developed-country systems.
• Phase the rollout with pilots in metropolitan corridors (e.g., Gauteng, Cape Town, eThekwini) and then scale nationally, using public-private partnerships and targeted capital support.
Pros:
Mobility & affordability: an efficient, all-day bus + rail network reduces per-household transport spending and improves access to work, education and services — enabling longer-hours economic activity and growth. (As you have noted, many South African households currently spend a very large share of income on transport; improved services would materially reduce that burden.)
• Economic stimulus & jobs: large infrastructure and fleet investments create construction, manufacturing, operations and maintenance jobs. International evidence shows infrastructure investment generates tens of thousands of jobs per US$1 billion invested in the short run, depending on the project mix and labour intensity.
And several More, which can be explained.