高校生がソーラー電車開発　通勤に苦労する親をサポート　南ア

【プレトリアＡＦＰ＝時事】南アフリカの若者たちは、日々の電車通勤に苦労する親の姿を長年見続けてきた。しばしば起きる停電やケーブルの盗難で鉄道が頻繁にストップするのだ。（写真は工業高校の生徒たちが開発したソーラー電車。南アフリカの首都プレトリア北郊のソシャングベで）
　 ２０２０年の全国調査によると、公共交通機関利用者のうち鉄道を使う人は、２０１３年から３分の２近く減っている。
　そうした状況を何とかしようと、１０代の若者２０人が太陽光だけで走る電車を開発した。１００％太陽光エネルギーで走る電車は同国初だ。
　首都プレトリア北郊ソシャングベ地区。屋根の上に太陽光パネルを搭載した青と白の車両が、１８メートルのレールの上を進んでいく。
　開発に携わった工業高校の生徒、ロニー・マシンディさん（１８）は、「僕たちの親は電車に乗らなくなりました（中略）ケーブルの盗難や輪番停電が多いので」と語る。火力発電所が老朽化し、電力供給に支障が出ていると説明した。
　南アフリカの電車は主に貧困層やワーキングクラスに利用されている。だが最近は、割高なミニバス型のタクシーで通勤する人が増えている。
　現在、この試作車は、校庭に設置された線路を１０往復できるまでになった。座席と薄型テレビスクリーンを載せた車両の製作には２年かかった。ソーラー電車は時速３０キロで走行可能で先日、複数の大学が参加するイノベーション関連イベントでも披露された。
　ソーラー電車プロジェクトの指導にあたった教師は「場所と資材、そしてほんの少しの導きがあればここの生徒たちは、世界中の学生たちと同じように何だってできるのです」と語った。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/10/11-14:05）

For years, students in a South African township have seen their parents struggle to use trains for daily commutes, the railways frequently hobbled by power outages and cable thefts.
To respond to the crisis, a group of 20 teenagers invented South Africa's first fully solar-powered train.
Photovoltaic panels fitted to the roof, the angular blue-and-white test train moves on an 18-metre-long (60 feet) test track in Soshanguve township north of the capital Pretoria.
Trains are the cheapest mode of transport in South Africa, used mostly by the poor and working class.
Our parents... no longer use trains (because of) cable theft... and load shedding, said Ronnie Masindi, 18, referring to rolling blackouts caused by failures at old and poorly maintained coal-powered plants.
The state power company Eskom started imposing on-and-off power rationing 15 years ago to prevent a total national blackout.
The power outages, known locally as load-shedding, have worsened over the years disrupting commerce and industry, including rail services.
Infrastructure operator Transnet has struggled to keep rail traffic flowing smoothly since the economic challenges of the pandemic fuelled a surge in cable theft.
By 2020, rail use among public transport users was down almost two-thirds compared to 2013, according to the National Households Travel Survey with many commuters turning to more expensive minibus taxis.
Masindi said they decided to create and build a solar-powered train that uses solar to move instead of (mains) electricity.
The journey has not been without its challenges.
A lack of funding delayed production of the prototype locomotive, and the government later chipped in.
It was not a straight line, said another student, Lethabo Nkadimeng, 17. It was like taking a hike to the highest peak of the mountain.
The train, which can run at 30 kilometres (20 miles) per hour, was showcased at a recent universities innovation event.
For now, the prototype can run for 10 return trips on the track installed on the grounds of a school.
It will be used for further research, and eventually presented as a model the government could adopt.
Fitted with car seats and a flat-screen TV to entertain passengers, it took the students two years to build.
What we have realised is, if we you give township learners space, resources and a little mentorship they can do anything that any learner can do around the world, said Kgomotso Maimane, the project's supervising teacher.