SA has the opportunity to fundamentally change the way we operate our public transport system, if we take the opportunity that is staring us in the face. If we introduce electric or renewable energy vehicles to our public transport system, in 10 years’ time we will be running a safe, inexpensive and low-emissions public transport system. And we will cut the cost of transport to the commuter, while setting an example to the rest of the world of how an industry can be turned around, and cutting our reliance on expensive crude oil imports. There is little doubt that electric vehicles are the transport mode of the future. In many developed countries, fossil fuels such as diesel are being phased out, if not banned. German vehicle manufacturer Volkswagen announced in December that its next generation of internal combustion engines would be the last. The purchase cost of electric vehicles is still about three times as much as traditional petrol or diesel vehicles, but the benefits of ele...

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