Christine squeezes into an overcrowded minibus. Most of the passengers are men.

The majority of Johannesburg’s residents rely on minibus taxis to get into and around the city. The private taxi industry is in the process of being regulated by government, but ongoing conflicts between rival organisations over routes and fares have resulted in open warfare at taxi ranks.

Although Christine “Snoekie” Mahlalela lives only 8 km away from her workplace, in the former whites-only suburb of Parkview, it still takes her an hour to get there. It’s a tight squeeze in the minibus taxi although it’s only 5:30am.

A few blocks away she switches taxis at the Pan-Africa taxi rank. Taxi boys call out the destinations as they pack the commuters in. Christine doesn’t like travelling to and from work in the minibus taxis, but says she has no choice.

“The taxi drivers are so rude. They drive very fast. We women, we complain. The men don’t say anything otherwise the driver will stop and call the other drivers to beat up the one who is complaining.”

Christine gets out at the end of the taxi line, and walks the rest of the 2km distance to work. At the end of her day, working in a beauty clinic, she repeats the procedure. The traffic build-up usually means she gets home at 7pm.

Tatyane can travel all over the city by bus

Curitiba, Brazil

Curitiba is famed for its vast bus network. Huge buses, some carrying up to 270 passengers, speed along artery roads on dedicated busways. These are fed by smaller vehicles which serve the city’s neighbourhoods through local district terminals. More than 75% of commuters travel by bus.

Tatyane de Jesus Nunes, a 22 year-old-student, has classes every morning and four nights a week, as well as working part-time.

She depends on public transport for everything. There is nowhere in the city the bus system cannot take her, all for one single fare.

“I think it’s one of the best systems in the country,” she said. “The buses are fast, new and clean. I don’t need to leave places early, because I know I can depend on them to get anywhere on time.”

But the fares are the third highest in Brazil, and 20% of Tatyane’s $107 monthly salary goes on transport, which means she avoids using the buses for short distances.

She has also been robbed on buses and does not use them after dark: