The Safe Passage Programme is a public private partnership between the Suppliers Development Initiative Micro-Enterprise Trust and Young Urbanists NPC. It addresses South Africa’s transport challenges while supporting the informal sector. The programme focuses on creating safer, more affordable routes that connect informal and formal areas, responding to spatial planning that has prioritised private cars and urban sprawl.
Safe Passage works at the level of the street and the route. It improves how people move between where they live, work, learn, and access services. The programme prioritises pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users, and the micro economy, including delivery riders and informal traders. It focuses on non motorised transport and public transport as the backbone of movement in South African cities.
The programme responds to a clear transport crisis. South Africans spend an average of 4.5 hours commuting each day, with transport costs taking up 40 percent of income. Walking remains a primary mode of transport, yet infrastructure is limited and safety is poor. In Sub-Saharan Africa, a third of road deaths are pedestrians, rising to 57 percent in Cape Town. Cyclists make up a small share of road users but face disproportionate risk. Safe Passage addresses these conditions through targeted, on the ground interventions.
Safe Passage delivers a wide range of improvements. These include safe and dedicated cycling lanes, new pedestrian and cycling intersections, non motorised transport walkways, enhanced lighting, and traffic calming measures. The programme applies tactical urbanism to test solutions in real conditions. It supports informal trading, improves infrastructure for taxis and public transport, and integrates low carbon vehicles into everyday movement. It also incorporates biodiversity and water sensitive urban design, universal access, and ongoing maintenance of infrastructure.
The approach is collaborative. Safe Passage works with all levels of government, private sector partners, and local communities to deliver practical solutions. It aligns stakeholders around clear routes and interventions that can be implemented and maintained. The programme includes ongoing responsibility for infrastructure and supports community safety along key corridors.
Safe Passage is designed to scale. The programme aims to expand across South Africa through partnerships with cities, communities, and private sector partners. It supports national development priorities by improving access, reducing transport costs, and enabling job creation through safer and more efficient movement.
