Eco Driving programme

In the spirit of 2010, 20 metered taxi drivers were selected to participate in the pilot phase of the Eco-Driver Training in March 2010.  This is a collaborative project initiated by the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC), the City of Cape Town, and the South African Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA), as part of the 2010 Green Goal Programme.

The eco-driving training aims to promote fuel efficient driving habits.  This will bring about fuel savings and a reduction in harmful vehicle emissions, resulting in an improvement in urban air quality.  The metered taxi drivers received theoretical and practical training in eco-driving habits to additionally capacitate them to optimise their fuel savings during the World Cup.  This is achieved through eco-driving as it results in a decreased consumption of fuel and minimized wear-and-tear expenses on vehicles.

The training will simultaneously have a lasting impact, thereby feeding into the green goal legacy, by not only contributing towards decreasing the carbon footprint of the World Cup but by effecting a long-term decrease in harmful fuel emissions in the province.  The Eco-Driver initiative forms one of the 41 Green Goal projects that look beyond the actual time frame of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and strive to address concerns for post-event environmental, social, and economic impacts on the immediate and extended environment.

For more information on the eco-driving programme contact:
Gottlieb Arendse
Department of Environmental Affairs