Browsing by Author "Vanderschuren, Marianne"
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- ItemOpen AccessAccessibility to schooling in South African rural areas(2021) Narcy, Deisy; Vanderschuren, MarianneIn developing countries rural communities are normally geographically isolated contributing to both poverty levels and the deficiency in the participation of social and economic activities. Accessibility to education constitutes one of the primordial links between the economic growth of a country and the development of high skilled population. Given South Africa's unique history, divisions throughout the landscape incapacitate inhabitants of rural communities in reaching opportunities and services, therefore, aggravating issues related to social exclusion and inequality. This study aims to determine accessibility levels in South African rural regions by looking at different aspects that entangle the theory behind it, specifically: the zone attractiveness and impedance. With that in mind, the investigations carried out are firstly directed towards accessibility at the provincial level and thereafter a focus area is determined. At the provincial level, it was found that the Northern Cape presented the greatest disadvantages. However, given insufficient resources and data related to this province, the Cape Winelands Municipality District was chosen as the area to extend the investigations. When assessing the focus area, the study deployed a GIS-based analysis wherein potential and real accessibility were determined. Initially using the gravity measure, and subsequently using a survey carried out in the region. The study has revealed that Stellenbosch and Robertson are the towns experiencing high accessibility levels. Notwithstanding, most principal towns still experience critically low accessibility indexes. The findings of this study can, therefore, be useful in indicating areas that need further studies or are experiencing disadvantages regarding accessibility.
- ItemOpen AccessAn assessment of the effectiveness of speed humps as a traffic calming measure for accident reduction in Durban(2020) Monyatsi, Lemohang; Vanderschuren, MarianneEThekwini municipality has been allocating millions of rands each year for speed humps as a traffic calming measure, to curb rat-running and ensure pedestrian safety in the city. Since 2012, the city has spent R42.1 million of its capital budget on speed humps. Despite all traffic calming efforts, there hasn't been significant changes in the city's total accidents. Between 2000 and 2015, the city's total crashes has never been below 50 000 per annum. In terms of injuries, the same trend can be observed. Person injuries have been increasing year-on-year since 2012. To date, there hasn't been a study conducted by EThekwini Municipality to assess the effectiveness of these speed humps implemented across the city. At the moment, despite the city's annual commitment to implement traffic calming, particularly in the form of speed humps, the city does not have an idea as to whether traffic calming measures put in place are successful or not, or whether they are effecting any changes at all. This research, therefore, aims to use information available to assess changes in specific roads, i.e. roads that have been traffic calmed. The study will look at these numbers which are key performance indicators before and after the implementation of speed humps. This study will assess the impact of reactive (responsive to requests) traffic calming in the form of speed humps using accident data. The assessment will look at changes relating to the number of crashes before and after implementation of speed humps, it will also focus on changes in the severity of accidents involved. The research will study changes in relation to the types of accident involved particularly pedestrians. These key performance indicators (KPIs) will be used to assess changes and answer the question of effectiveness.
- ItemOpen AccessAssessing the transportation of liquid fuels in South Africa using multi-criteria decision analysis: a conceptual framework and case study(2016) Coelho, Marco; Vanderschuren, MarianneWith the recent unprecedented growth of many African economies, infrastructure investment has been flooding into the continent. Two key areas experiencing large growth in infrastructure development are the transport and energy sectors. This trend also continues to hold true in the South African development framework. The theme of this thesis encompasses both subjects of energy and transportation infrastructure which feature prominently in the countries development plans. When energy is discussed in South Africa, it is usually in the context of power generation and electricity distribution. This study focuses on another key component of the energy sector in the form of liquid fuel. Most of this energy is consumed for transportation purposes. The energy consumption of the transport sector in South Africa is large, totalling around 28% of Total Final Consumption (TFC) in the national energy balances. The bulk of this energy demand (97%) is in the form of liquid fuels, accounting for 84% of the national liquid fuel demand. This thesis focusses on the investigation of a Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) model, which can be used to aid decision makers in the planning and assessment of liquid fuel transportation projects. A key feature of this thesis is the incorporation of a stochastic analysis in the MCDA model. There are two key motivations for assimilating a stochastic analysis in this investigation. The first one is the evaluation of incorporating such an analysis in an MCDA, as opposed to a more traditional sensitivity analysis. The second motivation is to assess the value of employing stochastic analysis as an input method for analysing a decision problem, where comprehensive field data can be substituted for a relevant range of simulated data. This thesis proposes a model which integrates the MCDA and stochastic analysis in the hope that it would provide a faster and more cost effective alternative for assessing certain liquid fuel transportation problems.
- ItemOpen AccessBlack spot analysis : infrastructure impacts on black spots in the Western Cape N1(2014) Dinga, Nasiphi; Vanderschuren, MarianneThis thesis discusses the infrastructural, vehicular and environmental factors that contribute towards road accidents. The role of infrastructure in improving road safety is the primary focus of the research, as infrastructure influences the driving experience. Road design and geometry are important for the consistency of highway performance. Road curvature, paved shoulders and the presence of an at grade intersection influence the drivers’ perception of the highway. The Laingsburg Beaufort West N1 highway has a high incidence of accidents, namely single vehicle accidents. For this reason, the road section has been classified as a hazardous location. These fatal accidents may be influenced by the infrastructural and geometrical factors of the highway. Western Cape geographical data was analysed for the period 2000 to 2007, to investigate the infrastructural and geometrical factors that influence the high accident rate. This was done through an ArcGis analysis, which gave insight into the properties of each of the fatal accidents. In order to get a level of confidence from the findings of the ArcGis analysis, a road safety audit was conducted. This was done through a general inspection of the N1 highway between Laingsburg and Beaufort West, which included driving through the road section at a constant speed, and completing a checklist of the operating elements of the highway. The road safety audit revealed that infrastructural problems (lack of guardrails, sign posts located close to highway) and geometrical factors (average paved shoulder width, single carriageway roads, and dangerous intersections) were present on the road. The Laingsburg Beaufort West analysis was the primary focus of the research. Data for the years 2010 to 2013, which was updated, was obtained from SANRAL and investigated for accident types and potential hotspots. An ArcGis analysis was also performed on the data. Fatal accidents were analysed, to determine whether the Provincial Government of the Western Cape would meet their accident reduction goals of reducing accidents by 50% between the years 2009 and 2014. A high incidence of fatal pedestrian accidents was observed in the Khayelitsha area. Recommendations include the relocation of poles and signs, increasing the paved shoulder width, installation of guardrails along the entire highway, as well as provision of pedestrian bridges and walkways in the Khayelitsha area.
- ItemOpen AccessChallenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Urban Mobility (Non-Motorised Transport): A Case Study of Eveline Street in the Windhoek Municipality, Namibia(2019) Kamundu, Erwin; Vanderschuren, MarianneWindhoek has several inherited structural challenges that include a trend of decreasing densities of urban settlements, along with social inequalities and highly skewed levels of access and mobility. The most vulnerable members of the society in Windhoek currently carry the majority of the transportation costs and inconveniences. Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) in Eveline Street forms a significant part of the daily activity of people as they commute to and from public transport stops and stations, places of work, places of education and walking to water collection points and means of creating a living. The implementation of Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) facilities as a manner of supporting NMT trips has been largely neglected in Eveline Street thus, exposing NMT users to road accidents. Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) is a core aspect in the development of a sustainable transport system for the City of Windhoek. Its importance derives from the high percentage of persons in Windhoek who depends on NMT, as well as its economic and ecological efficiency compared to Motorised Transport (MT) on distances up to approximately 5 km. Approximately 20% of Windhoek's households can afford to own a car, therefore roads alone are not enough to secure social sustainability and only worsens already existing income inequality (Araes, 2007). Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) supplements public transport, contributes to lively urban quarters and is an integral part of the transport system of Windhoek. Low income households in Windhoek spend up to one quarter (25%) of their income on transport (Zwicky et al., 2013). Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) users are the most vulnerable traffic-group, often involved in severe accidents and there is a need for special attention and provision to enable, strengthen and develop NMT as a proper and feasible mode of transport in Windhoek. Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) has an important role to play in greening the economy in the context of providing and promoting more sustainable transport options, forming part of more cost-effective solutions in establishing a sustainable transport system to improve economic progression for the residents of Windhoek. The main motivating reason for this research was to investigate the current opportunities and challenges being experienced that affects the promotion of the Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) in providing a sustainable urban mobility within Eveline Street in the Windhoek Municipal area, Namibia. This study further seeks to examine the potential and sustainability for effective transportation planning for Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) and its effects in the reduction of Motorised Transport (MT) congestion in the area. In Windhoek, the main types of Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) users are pedestrians (majority type) and cyclists (minority type). The research paper aims to come up with the conclusive proposals and possible intervention measures that will help in the provision and management of Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) infrastructure to ensure a sustainable urban transport system. Thus, helping Windhoek municipality, Namibian government, stakeholders and practitioners to make better informed decisions when addressing the transport challenges of NMT users in urban areas. The scope of the research was limited to Non-Motorised Transport (NMT), more specifically, walking and cycling as a mode of transport in the infamous Eveline Street in the high density suburb of Greenwell Matongo in the area of Katutura in the greater Windhoek municipality. Eveline Street being used as a case study to understand what potential value NMT trips could be for Windhoek. There are various benefits to Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) as a mode of transport. Safety benefits of successful NMT facilities include lower risk of road collisions, injuries and fatalities, while there are also several health benefits of NMT trips, which include lowered levels of stress, obesity and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). NonMotorised Transport (NMT), as a mode of transport, is one of the most sustainable modes of transport, as it does not rely on fuel and, is one of the cleanest modes of transportation. Furthermore, Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) trips have various socio-economic benefits that help to address equality concerns, which are highly relevant for pedestrians in Windhoek. An example, of how improved NMT trips could address equality issues, would be increasing the mobility and accessibility of vulnerable members of society. This can be for socio-economic reasons or physical and mental abilities that influence the individual's ability to commute. The research methodology involved the review of literature, primary and secondary data collection, validation and analysis, interpretation and subsequent recommendations to address urban mobility challenges and policy recommendations to promote NMT for Windhoek Municipality. The methodology comprises surveys, traffic counts; direct observation and behavioral studies. The tools used included questionnaires, tally sheets, walkability audit tool, maps and photographs. The secondary data was obtained mainly through the literature review of the existing work by academic and researchers on NMT, land use and transport planning, institutional setup and policy administration. Other sources of secondary data included universities, libraries, internet, GIZ Studies, MVA Namibia, SUTMP, Local authorities records, Namibia Statistics Agency, and Government documents on transport and environment. The data was collected by administering roadside questionnaire, direct observations of behavior and the walkability of the area, interviewing key informants, photographs and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) locations.
- ItemOpen AccessContext sensitive road planning for developing countries(2011) Beukes, Edward Andrew; Vanderschuren, MarianneThe majority of South African urban poor live on the periphery of cities, travel long distances to work and school, and are dependent on public transport and walking or cycling (Non-Motorised Transport or NMT) for their travel needs. Road planning practice in South Africa continues to be largely automobile-centric. A need was identified to incorporate more contextual information into the transport planning process, to produce a more comprehensive, holistic and multimodal approach to practice. A description of the context, defined in terms of land use, socioeconomic, environmental and transport information, was developed and forms the basis of a method for making recommendations for road infrastructure provision. Data was incorporated using Spatial Multiple Criteria Assessment (SMCA), a Decision Support System and analysed in a GIS.
- ItemOpen AccessCyclists' rights to the city: The realisation of cyclists' rights in the city of Johannesburg(2018) Suleman, Muhammed; Vanderschuren, MarianneThis research follows from the announcement of the Johannesburg mayor to stop the development of cycle lanes in the city of Johannesburg. The research is based on the notion that cyclists, like all other road users, have an equal right to the city. Therefore, planning for cyclists in cities should be awarded the same level of importance as planning for other modes of transport. However, having a right to city is, to a large extent, controlled by those who plan and shape the city. For this reason, the research places planning at the centre of the process, and unpacks the role of transport planners in shaping the city as a cycle friendly space. In doing this, the research focuses on the city of Johannesburg, a city which has, between 2007 and 2018, seen the development of 40kms of dedicated cycle lanes. The City decided to stop the development of cycle lanes because the city has not experienced an increase in cycling mode share. The research suggests that it is too early in the project to stop cycling development in Johannesburg. The city needs to relook at what has been done, find the gaps, and improve the programme. The research conducts a case study evaluation. The method focuses on four areas in Johannesburg in which cycle lanes have been constructed. Through an interview process, the research discusses why, transport planners feel cycling has not increased in Johannesburg, despite the interventions by the city in these four areas. The perspective of the transport planners are then compared to a range of articles relating to the development of the cycle lanes in Johannesburg. The research finds that while there is an acknowledgement of the city’s efforts to develop cycle lanes, there is a problem with the planning process. To understand the planning process better, the research discusses six international precedent cities, which have successfully increased cycling mode share. Through unpacking the planning process in these international cities, the research demonstrates the impacts that, the correct planning process can have, in the promotion of cyclists’ rights in cities. The research identifies certain gaps in the Johannesburg planning process. The research highlights a range of strategies which planners need to focus on in Johannesburg. However, at the root of it all, the research finds that cycling development in Johannesburg did not follow any specific cycling plan, while international best practice indicates that this is a major requirement. There is no clear guideline or strategy from the city which planners are following and, therefore, there is no coherent or complete plan for promoting cycling in Johannesburg.
- ItemOpen AccessThe design of a geographical information system for promotion of intergrated planning of transport and spatial affairs between all spheres of government(2007) Burger, Lizelle; Vanderschuren, Marianne; Rivett, UlrikeWith the common goal of improving Gauteng's transport sector in mind, the Member of Executive Council (MEC) for Public Transport, Roads and Works, concluded his recent budget speech by declaring " .... an unwavering commitment from my Department and I (sic), to accelerate our pace of delivery, improve our provision of services and generally contribute to creating the necessary environment for Gauteng to Work Better." (Jacobs, 2006) Strategically, this thesis is concerned with the primary responsibility and increased efforts of the Gauteng Department of Public Transport, Roads and Works (GPTRW) to obtain and manage the legally required datasets.
- ItemOpen AccessDeveloping a 'Road Safety Desert' Methodology for South Africa(2023) Newlands, Alexandra; Vanderschuren, MarianneRoad safety is a significant problem in today's world, with the number of fatalities caused by road traffic crashes rising every year. The road safety problem has been described as ‘an epidemic on wheels' (Lamont, 2010), which is substantiated by the fact that over 1.35 million people die each year on the world's roads (WHO, 2018a). South Africa's road fatality rate – 21.3 deaths per 100 000 population (RTMC, 2019; STATSSA, 2019) – is considerably higher than the global rate of 18.2 deaths per 100 000 population, and is one of the highest in Africa and the world (WHO, 2018a). Although South Africa's road fatality rate has continued to decrease over the last decade, the current rate is still unacceptably high. An average of 34 road fatalities occur each day, with 40.5% of all fatalities being some of the most vulnerable road users – pedestrians (RTMC, 2019). Additionally, road crashes cost the country's economy approximately R143 billion in total per year (Labuschagne et al., 2016). Drastic change needs to occur, in order to save the economy billions of Rands, and, more importantly, thousands of lives. In order to understand and improve the road safety situation of a region and thus decrease the number of road traffic crashes and fatalities, effective road safety assessments must be carried out. While the current road assessment methodologies (e.g., hotspot analyses, fatality rates) provide informative and useful information about the state of road safety in a region, none of them have been able to make a radical difference in solving the road safety problem in the South African context. This indicates that current assessment methodologies are not sufficient for combatting the high fatality rate and do not provide adequate data for tackling this significant problem. The lack of sufficient road safety assessment methodologies has led to the development of a new road safety assessment approach– namely ‘road safety deserts'. This new methodology makes use of the ‘desert concept', which is a concept that assesses the equitable distribution of goods and services. In academic literature, a ‘desert' is based on a comparison of supply and demand, which was first used to assess access to nutritious food. ‘Food deserts' are defined as “those areas of cities where cheap, nutritious food is virtually unobtainable” (Clarke et al., 2002; Whelan et al., 2002; Wrigley et al., 2002). ‘Transit deserts' were derived from the ‘food iv desert' concept and are “areas that lack adequate public transit service given areas containing populations that are deemed transit dependent” (Jiao & Dillivan, 2013). As the ‘food desert' concept was successfully transferred to a different field of study (i.e., transport) (Jiao & Dillivan, 2013), and the ‘transit desert' concept was successfully modified to suit the South African context (Vanderschuren et al., 2021), it was concluded that a similar methodology could be developed for the field of road safety. In the initial stages of developing this new ‘road safety desert' methodology, the key data requirements were identified as fatality data, including infrastructure-related data and fatalities per road user type, and road user distribution data, all at the disaggregate Transport Analysis Zone (TAZ) level (sourced from the Integrated Provincial Accident System (2011-1015) and the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) (2013)). Due to data availability, Cape Town was chosen as the case city where this new methodology could be tested to provide proof of concept. ‘Road safety deserts' are defined as areas where there is a significantly higher road safety risk compared to the average road safety risk in the study area. Safety values (using fatalities per road user type) were subtracted from supply quality values (using infrastructure-related attributes) to determine an overall ‘safety desert' value for each TAZ. This value represents the road safety risk of an area and can be calculated for different road user types. A positive overall ‘safety desert' value indicates that there is a lower road safety risk than the risk for the average person in the study area, and vice versa. The ‘road safety desert' methodology was applied to Cape Town in order to provide a proof of concept. For motorised transport, Kraaifontein and Blue Downs were identified as ‘road safety deserts', i.e., having a road safety risk which is significantly higher than the risk to the average Capetonian. On the other hand, Durbanville and Sea Point were found to have a significantly lower road safety risk than the risk in other areas. For non-motorised transport (NMT), Durbanville and Grassy Park were found to be ‘road safety deserts'. Belgravia, Central Cape Town, and Simonstown were identified as having a slightly lower road safety risk than the risk to the average Cape Town inhabitant. v The successful ‘road safety desert' analysis of Cape Town provides proof of concept for this newly developed methodology. However, during the analysis of the results, a few issues presented themselves, primarily concerned with the data used in this research. The supply quality data should be improved and be specific to the mode being analysed. For example, when analysing NMT ‘safety deserts', the infrastructure-related attributes should be NMT specific. Additionally, in areas where a large number of trips are made by non-residents, traffic counts rather than NHTS demand data (which is for residents' trip making only) should be used in the safety value calculation. A further consideration is the use of smaller analysis zones, which would increase the accuracy of the results. Overall, these results prove that the ‘road safety desert' methodology can be applied to a South African city successfully. While several issues did arise in the accuracy of the results, this is not inherently due to problems with the methodology, but due to problems with the data that was available to be conduct this study. It is recommended that other South African and international cities investigate the methodology developed in this study, and use it to identify areas and population groups that carry a high road safety burden. Through this analysis, a road safety strategy can be developed for the areas that need it most.
- ItemOpen AccessDevelopment of a geographical information system based transport assessment approach in rural South Africa - The Case of Healthcare Accessibility in Cape Winelands District Municipality(2019) Ma-Kiese, Stephane Simon Masamba; Vanderschuren, MarianneFor communities in urban and rural areas, access to healthcare facilities is a very significant concern of service delivery to both public policy makers and urban planners. Many healthcare systems set one of their primary objectives to achieve equity and ease of access to healthcare facilities for the populations that they serve. Spatial distribution of population, transport infrastructure, as well as spatial distribution of healthcare facilities are key characteristics that influence the disparities in spatial accessibility to healthcare facilities. Regardless of the permanent interest in transport accessibility, it is often uncertain how different types of accessibility measures relate to one another and which conditions are best for applications. In general, the current study undertakes a statistical comparison among three spatial accessibility measures (representing the main categories of spatial accessibility models) to determine whether they are comparable and/or interchangeable. Specifically, this study aims to use a geographical information system based approach combined with spatial accessibility measures, in a case study, derived from fine spatial resolution datasets, to characterise and divulge spatial variations in individual’s access to healthcare facilities and identify deprived locations/local communities in a selected District Municipality of the Western Cape, South Africa. Results indicate that the main categories of spatial accessibility measures provide different interpretations of accessibility that cannot be reproduced by each other. However, the accessibility measures show a significant similar trend in variations of individual’s accessibility to healthcare services for the communities of Cape Winelands District Municipality. The study establishes that within the Cape Winelands there exist spatial variations in the distribution of accessibility to healthcare and characterises these variations.
- ItemOpen AccessEmergency care facility access in rural areas within the golden hour?: Western Cape case study(BioMed Central, 2015-01-16) Vanderschuren, Marianne; McKune, DuncanBackground: Road Safety is a major cause of death around the world and South Africa has one of the highest road fatality rates. Many measures, engineering and medical, are investigated. However, analysis of the accessibility of emergency care facilities is often overlooked. This paper aims to fill the gap between pre-crash engineering solutions and literature on trauma injuries and emergency care procedures. The focus is on the role that accessibility to emergency care facilities in rural areas plays, given that 50% of the world’s population lives in rural areas, which are often omitted from international research. The Western Cape (a rural province with low population volumes and high volume roads in South Africa) is analysed as an example of access to trauma care in rural areas. Method: It is internationally accepted that the time to emergency care facilities influences the survival chances. However, the international literature still debates the exact time period. In this paper, the ‘Golden Hour’ is used to analyse the accessibility of emergency care facilities in rural areas and establish a geographical analysis method which identifies risk areas. The analysis can be repeated if the international literature debates regarding the exact time period changes. Results: A Geographical Information System (GIS) tool revealed that 53% of the fatalities in the rural parts of the Western Cape occur outside the Golden Hour. In high risk crash areas, the fatality risk is up to nine times higher than the province’s rural average. Conclusions: People in need of trauma care after a road crash are most likely to survive if they receive definitive care timeously. At the time of the study, the rural areas in the Western Cape had 44 Emergency Medical Services stations and 29 medical facilities that can assist to provide definitive (trauma) care. Further optimisation of the facility locations is recommended and research has begun. More advanced geographical modelling is possible when improved data becomes available on the ‘Golden Hour’ theory, differential times for varying injury types or travel speeds of ambulances. This, more advanced, modelling can reduce the road crash burden in rural areas around the world further.
- ItemOpen AccessEnhancing integrated transport planning: A spatial multi-criteria analysis approach to the MyCiTi integrated rapid transit system, South Africa(2016) Barendse, Caro-Joy; Vanderschuren, MarianneSince the birth of the automobile in 1886, its popularity amongst people has risen dramatically owing to the freedom, comfort, speed, safety and unique designs offered by this mode of transport. 2014 saw approximately 71.15 million units of new vehicle sales globally, showing that private car usage is still on the rise. Rapid degradation of the environment and slumped economic growth can be attributed to the automobilecentric transport system. Raised environmental and social awareness has driven campaigns to promote greener modes of transport instead, such as public and nonmotorised transportation. This has seen the introduction of BRT systems in South African cities however; fully integrated transport systems are yet to be achieved. Thus there is a dire need for a design support tool that is adequately capable of processing built environment characteristics in the development of a BRT feeder network that is fully appreciative of the influence of NMT and the urban fabric, and is thus appropriate to the needs of the community it is trying to serve. This study comprised the application of two Spatial Multi-Criteria based methodologies in which a list of built environment characteristics and public transport demand formed the inputs for the analyses. The analysis produced a composite suitability map for each approach, in which each pixel represented the appropriateness of having a BRT feeder route located in that respective pixel. Routes between O-D pairs identified were solved by carrying out a least cost path assessment based on the mean impedance values along the existing road network. The routes developed were compared to the MyCiTi feeder bus routes using Key Performance Indicators established in this research to determine whether this study was successful in producing an enhanced BRT feeder route planning tool. Apart from one route, the set of feeder routes developed for each approach were exactly the same with the second method producing lower average impedance values per kilometre thus it was deemed stronger. When compared to the MyCiTi feeder routes, similar operational efficiencies were achieved with respect to average travel time, coverage and directness. However; the study methodologies provided a greater level of NMT planning inclusion and consideration of environmental factors. Furthermore; it achieved this in a systematic and transparent manner, providing immensely powerful benefits for transportation planners in the public sector. This study was successful in demonstrating that SMCA combined with the Network Analyst tool in ArcGIS has the ability to enhance the quality and appropriateness of BRT feeder routes, whilst achieving acceptable operational efficiencies. The results could further be improved by incorporating more data on local NMT trends and behaviour. Furthermore; this tool can be applied to solving pedestrian, bicycle and other public transport routing problems.
- ItemOpen AccessEvaluating Different Multi-Criteria Decision Methods for the Comparison and Investigation of Public Transport Projects(2022) Papathanasiou, Shameez Patel; Vanderschuren, MarianneThere is a need for affordable, reliable, and safe public transport in South Africa. In Cape Town, the most popular modes of public transport are rail, bus, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and minibus taxis. At this stage, the various modes are not integrated and, in some instances, are running in parallel. Many research papers have focused on comparing the capital costs and benefits of public transport investments and the results often exclude the effects of criteria that are not easily monetised. In South Africa, the Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) is often used to evaluate public transport projects, whereas, in this research, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methods were investigated and used. The objective of this research was to evaluate the MCDA methods available and establish it as an alternative or supplementary method, or tool, that public transport planners could use when evaluating public transport projects. In order to test the MCDA methods, Cape Town's existing public transport was used as a case study with each mode assumed to be operating exclusively. Therefore, the five scenarios analysed are: Rail (MetroRail); Bus (Golden Arrow); BRT (MyCiTi) Minibus Taxis, and Integrated Public Transport System (theoretical). These modes were evaluated against a number of criteria including economic, social, and environmental impacts. Qualitative methods were focused on, incorporating quantitative methods, in order to gain indepth insight into public transport management and operations, as well as the costs and benefits involved, both direct and indirect. Research on public transport practices, locally, nationally, and internationally was performed. From this, alternatives for the case study, as well as the assessment criteria, were established. The research also included investigating multi-criteria analysis methods, ultimately leading to the methods chosen for the analysis. In order to perform the analyses using the alternatives and assessment criteria, the criteria needed to be weighted. The scenarios were analysed using an UNWEIGHTED viewpoint, where each criterion was equally weighted; WEIGHTEDs viewpoint, where each criterion was weighted by key players (specialists) in the public transport discipline; WEIGHTEDp viewpoint, where each criterion was weighted by the general public who have used public transport in Cape Town. As this may lead to differing results, aggregation methods were also included in the research. As mentioned, the integration of this investigation involves optimising the method in which public transport projects are being evaluated by establishing a multi-criteria analyses method which is reliable, simple, and capable of including a variety of criteria, both monetary, qualitative, and quantitative. A variety of comparative evaluation methods exist. Within this, as mentioned, the popular methods for public transport appraisal are Cost-Benefit Analysis and a variety of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis methods. Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) is the most used evaluation method for assessing infrastructural investments. In the transport field, it is the basic tool in most countries (Beria et al., 2012). The CBA is based on the monetisation and inter-temporal discount. Money is the measure unit used as common numeracy to translate all costs and benefits associated to an investment or a policy. Once all relevant effects of an investment are quantified, the concept of inter-temporal discount is used to translate future costs and benefits to present day by means of a social discount rate. In this way, the future can be compared with the present (Beria et al., 2012). CBA weighs the pros and cons of a project in a rational and systematic process. It inherently requires the creation and evaluation of at least two options, “do it or not”, plus it requires an evaluation at several different scales (nothing, minimum and all, as the least requirements) (OECD, 2006; EC, 2008; Ninan, 2008 as cited in Jones et al., 2014). Costs generally associated with a cost-benefit analysis include those related to construction and future maintenance, such as capital, major rehabilitation and annual maintenance costs over the life-cycle of the project. Other considerations include discounting of future costs and benefits, dealing with opportunity costs, inflation, avoidance of double counting, avoidance of sunk costs, dealing with joint costs and dealing with the sensitivity analysis (Kentucky Transportation Center, 2016). The limitations often associated with CBA includes omitting costs or key benefits, as well as measuring factors like travel time savings and safety improvements, which are not easily monetised (Kentucky Transportation Center, 2016). In an attempt to mitigate the weaknesses of the CBA, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methods were investigated. Generally speaking, a multiple criteria decision problem is a scenario in which having defined a set of actions/solutions (Do nothing / Upgrade Rail / Additional buses etc.) and a consistent family of criteria (Cost / Accessibility / Safety etc.), the Decision Maker (DM) tends to determine the best subset of actions and solutions according to the criteria (choice problem), divide the solutions into subsets representing specific classes of solutions according to the concrete classification rules (sorting problem) or rank the actions and solutions from best to worst, according to the criteria (ranking problem) (Zak, 2010). As previously mentioned, there are many MCDA methods available, Macharis & Bernardini (2015) performed an investigation to establish the most commonly used methods used for transport project analysis. The top three most popular methods are AHP/ANP (Analytic Hierarchy/Network Process) – often used in combination with another method, such as the Evaluation of Mixed Data method (EVAMIX), TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) and Fuzzy Set – often used as a part another method, such as the Simple Additive Weighting Method (SAW, also known as Weighted Sum). The SAW method appeals to the school of thought of unified scores across alternatives, applying weighting and sums the result per alternative. The EVAMIX method appeals to the second school of thought and takes it one step further. After the unification of scores, the alternatives are compared pairwise (Vanderschuren & Frieslaar, 2008). In order to compare the outcomes of different methods without the use of specialised software, to make the method accessible, the SAW method and EVAMIX method was used in conjunction with the AHP method, therefore, appealing to both schools of thought. The AHP method, as developed by Saaty (1980) is a helpful tool for managing qualitative and quantitative criteria involved in decision-making. As stated in the name, it is based on a hierarchical structure (Taherdoost, 2017). The AHP method also develops a linear additive model, but in its standard format, uses procedures for deriving weights and the scores achieved by alternatives which are based, respectively, on pair-wise comparisons between criteria and / or options (Department of Communities and Local Government, 2009). The fundamental input to the AHP method is the decision makers' answers to a series of questions in the general form, ‘How important is criterion A relative to criterion B?' These pair-wise comparisons can be used to establish the weights for criteria and the performance scores for the options on the different criteria (Department of Communities and Local Government, 2009). The SAW method, also known as weighted linear combination, weighted summation or scoring methods is a simple and often used multi attribute decision technique. The method is based on the weighted average. An evaluation score is calculated for each alternative by multiplying the scaled value given to the alternative of that attribute with the weights of relative importance directly assigned by the decision maker, followed by summing of the products for all criteria. The advantage of the method is that it is a proportional linear transformation of the raw data which means the relative order of magnitude of the standardised scores remains equal (Afshari et al., 2010) The EVAMIX method was first introduced by Voogd (1982, 1983) and developed by Nijkamp et al. (1990), and Martel and Matarazzo (2005) as cited in Tuş Işık & Aytaç Adalı, (2016). A key component of the method is that it includes and combines both ordinal and cardinal, beneficial and non-beneficial data within the same evaluation matrix, hence the name. The EVAMIX method makes different computations to the data in the evaluation matrix depending on whether it is ordinal or cardinal (Hajkowicz & Higgins, 2008, as cited in Tuş Işık & Aytaç Adalı, 2016). The EVAMIX is a simple decision support tool, it requires pairwise comparison of alternatives, for each pair of alternatives, a dominance score for the ordinal and cardinal criteria are calculated. Then these dominance scores are combined into an overall dominance score of each alternative (Hinloopen et al., 2004, as cited in Tuş Işık & Aytaç Adalı, 2016). Finally, the alternatives are ranked based on the appraisal scores (Chatterjee & Chakraborty, 2013, as cited in Tuş Işık & Aytaç Adalı, 2016). The two chosen MCDA methods rank the alternatives, however the results of these rankings may not be the same, because of the different assumptions made in each method as well as the difference in criteria weights between the weighted and unweighted analyses. In this case, the aggregation of the methods may be needed. In this paper, it is proposed that the Borda and Copeland methods are used, as well as the Average Ranking Procedure. The Average Ranking Procedure ranks the alternatives by their mean values as opposed to the Borda and Copeland Method which rank alternatives by voting (Cheng & Saskatchewen, 2000). As mentioned, there are many ways that public transport projects are evaluated and part of the reason that a structured methodology is not used, is due to the complex nature of public transport. The potential impacts are directly related to the range (e.g., economic, financial, environmental, social, direct/indirect) and affected groups (users, non-users, as well as government and private operators) (Ferreira & Lake, 2002). For the sake of this thesis, a multiactor multi-criteria analysis was adopted and the three views were analysed (specialist, academic and transport users). Using the existing public transport in Cape Town as a case study, the following scenarios were analysed: Existing rail (MetroRail); Existing bus service (Golden Arrow); Existing BRT service (MyCiTi); Existing minibus taxi service and Theoretical integrated public transport system. It should be noted that for the theoretical integrated transport system, it was assumed that the existing rail, BRT and bus service continued operating and the minibus taxis would operate as feeders to the rest of the system. The services would not operate in parallel. In addition to this, it was also assumed that the BRT system would not expand and instead the funds available would be used to upgrade the existing public transportation along the proposed routes. The above scenarios were evaluated against a set of criteria. To establish the criteria, the most important criteria were identified by evaluating official statements and government documents to establish what the focus is regarding public transport in South Africa. The criteria were as follows: Cost, Land-Use, Affordability for Users, Accessibility, Estimated Speed, Convenience & Reliability, Environmental Effects, and Safety & Security. Two methods of MCDA were used with three alternate weightings as previously described, specialist, general public and academic (unbiased). The AHP method used to establish weightings was simple to use for both the planners/engineers and the general public, as the consistency ratio was under 10% it can, therefore, be concluded that the general public were consistent in their answers thereby understanding the questions and the survey method. The general public rated ‘Accessibility' as the top criteria, whereas the specialists in the private sector and public sector agreed that ‘Safety & Security' is the top criteria, which is the second most important criteria to the general public. Tied with ‘Safety & Security' for the second most important criteria, the general public also voted for ‘Affordability', the private sector specialists agreed, whereas the public sector rated ‘Accessibility' as the second most important criteria. In third place, the general public, as well as the specialists in the public sector agreed that ‘Cost' is important, whereas the private sector rated ‘Accessibility' as the third most important criteria. While the three perspectives differed in ranking, it can be seen that the top four criteria across the board, in no particular order were ‘Accessibility', ‘Affordability', ‘Safety & Security' and ‘Cost'. On the other end of the scale, the lowest weighted criteria were seen to be ‘Speed' for the general public and ‘Environmental' for engineers in both the public and private sector. The engineers in both the public and private sector agree that ‘Speed' is the second least important criteria and conversely, the general public has ‘Environmental' listed as the second least important criteria. All three perspectives agree that ‘Convenience & Reliability' was the third least important criteria. Therefore, it can be seen that the bottom three criteria, in no particular order were ‘Speed', ‘Environmental' and ‘Convenience & Reliability'. The SAW method using the specialist weighting (public and private combined) and the general public weighting, resulted in the same conclusion. The theoretical integrated transport system was the best choice, and the BRT system was considered the least favourable. The academic perspective resulted in minibus taxis being the best choice and the worst choice coincided with the specialist and general public perspective, i.e. BRT. The EVAMIX method results differ slightly between the three perspectives, however, all three agreed that the theoretical integrated transport system was the best alternative. The specialist perspective resulted in the trains being the worst option and the general public and academic perspective resulted in the BRT being the least favourable option. The results were aggregated using three aggregation methods. These methods resulted in the same three rankings with the theoretical integrated system being the best option for investment and the BRT being least desirable option. It should be noted that this evaluation was based on a theoretical approach to the integrated transport system and once the system is designed, further evaluation using accurate data, should be performed. This may change the outcome. In conclusion, both methods of MCDA were implemented with feasible results and, therefore, both methods of MCDA are easily applicable to the evaluation of public transport projects. It is recommended that, as far as possible, primary data be collected when implementing public transport evaluations. It is also recommended to evaluate public transport projects over the lifecycle of the chosen project. Generally, public transport projects are evaluated by or by the order of the City of Cape Town or Western Cape Government and should this be the case, access to more accurate data should be achievable. It is further recommended that should an integrated transport system be considered, the analysis is re-evaluated with the detailed design of the integrated transport system which would provide more precise data and may change the results.
- ItemOpen AccessEvaluation of safety benefits of the road cross section upgrading on the Okahandja Karibib road in Namibia(2018) Hepkema, Watze; Vanderschuren, MarianneGlobally, road fatalities have reached pandemic proportions. The Decade of Action for Road Safety of the United Nations has the aim to reduce road fatalities (UN, 2017, page 23). This dissertation investigates the Global and Namibian road safety status. The global road fatality rate is 17.7 deaths per 100 000 population, and the Africa continent has 26.6 deaths per 100 000 population (WHO, 2015, page 6). Namibia, in 2016, had around 34 deaths per 100 000 population (MVA, 2016, page 5). Namibia, with a small population of 2,2 million people (Census, 2011), is part of the Decade of Action. The crashes in Namibia are reviewed to determine if there are any trends on where and when they occur. The three most frequent crashes in Namibia are roll-over crashes, at 29% of all crashes, collisions at 28% of all crashes, with head-on crashes the most fatal and pedestrian crashes, which account for 22% of all crashes (MVA, 2016, page 5) International reports on mitigation measures for these three types of crashes were reviewed. The trunk road network of Namibia forms the major transport corridor network that connects the major cities and neighbouring countries. Trunk roads are generally 7.0m wide bitumen surfaced roads with 2.0m gravel shoulders. The Okahandja to Karibib road was upgraded with wider lanes, surfaced shoulders and six passing lane sections. The upgrading was completed in 2012 and this dissertation evaluated the road safety improvements due to the geometrical upgrading of the road, by comparing the road with an adjacent section that has not been upgraded. The National Road Safety Council provided crash data of Namibia from 2007 to 2016. Before construction, roll-over crashes were the most frequent fatal crash type. In the post-construction period no fatal roll-over crashes occurred. The number of collisions has not substantially decreased, but there is a decline in the severity of the crashes. The study concluded that Namibia has a high road fatality rate in comparison with the global road fatalities. The road upgrading of the Karibib Okahandja road did improve the road safety of the road, but the road fatalities are still high compared with international fatality rates.
- ItemOpen AccessAn evaluation of the benefits of intelligent speed adaptation for South Africa(2006) Beukes, Edward Andrew; Vanderschuren, MarianneThe aim of this report was to find, list and quantify all of the benefits that Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) might hold for South Africa. An attempt was made to provide an initial estimate of the cost savings that ISA could offer the country if it is implemented in full.
- ItemOpen AccessGeographical Modelling of Transit Deserts in Cape Town(2021-01-19) Vanderschuren, Marianne; Cameron, Robert; Newlands, Alexandra; Schalekamp, HerrieThe World Bank calculated South Africa’s 2018 Gini Coefficient to be 0.63, which made it the world’s most unequal country. Such inequality is perpetuated by land-use patterns still influenced by the apartheid past. The resulting urban form necessitates long travel distances, often relying on fragmented transit modes, each with their own geographical and temporal constraints. This study applies work on transit deserts in cities in the global north to Cape Town, aiming to assess the methodological transferability to the global south, and generating case study results. In the Cape Town case, the study first analyses transit deserts based on formal public transport supply (bus rapid transit, traditional bus and train), identifying that ten out of 18 traffic analysis zones were classified as transit gaps (some unserved demand), while three of these zones qualified as transit deserts (significant undersupply). Like its U.S. counterparts, excess supply is found near Cape Town’s city centre. In Cape Town, the transit gaps/deserts are partly filled by unscheduled minibus-taxis. When this informal public transport service is added, the transit deserts disappear; however, half of the transport analysis zones still qualify as having transit gaps. It is, therefore, concluded that informal public transit in Cape Town reduces the transit gap, but does not eliminate it.
- ItemOpen AccessIdentifying ‘transit deserts’ in a South African City – The case of Cape Town(2019) Cameron, Robert James; Vanderschuren, MarianneThis dissertation defines and describes the concept of 'transit deserts’, and the important role public transport plays in the lives of people who have few or no other alternatives. Transit deserts are defined as areas containing large portions of public transport dependent populations with limited access to private vehicles where the level of mass public transport does not adequately service the need of the populations in question (Jiao and Dillivan, 2013). The methodology to identify transit deserts (Jiao and Dillivan, 2013; Jiao, 2017) is tested in this study within a South African context, i.e. Cape Town. Since all available literature on measuring transit deserts was generated in the United States, a clearly defined modus operandi was established. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to modify and adapt the existing method to the Cape Town context. An explanation to how certain details related to the existing method were changed to be applicable to a South African city is provided in this study. The modified method involved identifying the public transport dependent population as a measure of public transport need, calculating the supply of public transport, and then measuring the gap between the need and the supply. This study will find that transit deserts exist in Cape Town and are spatially located on the outskirts of the metropolitan, in suburban and rural portions of the city. Transit gaps are also identified in previously marginilised areas known as the Cape Flats. Significantly, this study revealed the need for Cape Town to gather comprehensive transportation network data that is up-to-date and publicly available. This recommendation would allow for a more effective analysis of public transport need and supply in order to report on the location of transit deserts more accurately.
- ItemOpen AccessThe improvement of operational performance of public transport : the case for Gauteng Province, South Africa(2006) Cloete, Rodwell; Vanderschuren, MarianneBackground and Objectives: Public transport operations in South Africa, and in particular Gauteng Province, are riddled with problems. The service is characterised by poor performance, most evident in late arrivals, over crowdedness, and non-availability outside peak hours, among other. Most often, old and unsafe vehicles are used in operations, which compromise the safety of passengers. The 1997 Gauteng White Paper on Transport Policy provides for the monitoring of levels of service (LOS) as one of its key policy areas. To this effect, this research aimed to determine minimum and target public transport LOS, based on the actual level of service provision in Gauteng Province. Emphasis was placed on the provision of public transport services in areas where the greatest need exists and that will benefit most from improvements to the system. Broadly defined, this research aimed to provide answers to the questions set out below. * Is there any public transport service available and is it possible to gain access to it? * How frequently are the services provided? * Is the service affordable? * What level of service can be expected? * What are the demand and cost implications of providing an improved service? The main objectives of this research was thus to develop appropriate and sustainable public transport KPls and LOS, to test the practicality of formulated KPls and LOS, and to establish the additional investment levels required to address the backlog within the public transport system in Gauteng.
- ItemOpen AccessThe indirect impact of road freight transport - case study: N3 Johannesburg to Durban road freight corridor(2015) McKune, Andrew; Vanderschuren, MarianneSouth Africa's unique spatial challenges require more corridor transport relative to the size of the economy than most countries in the world. The overall aim of this investigation is to determine the estimated cost of the indirect impacts of road freight on the N3 corridor between Johannesburg and Durban. This corridor, approximately 600 kilometres in length, forms the link between the country's industrial hub (Johannesburg) and its key Port (Durban). The following research questions are posed: • What is the status quo of freight transport in a global, South African and Johannesburg to Durban Freight Corridor context? • What are the future growth forecasts for freight on the Johannesburg to Durban corridor? • What is the significance of freight transport in South Africa? • Does the reported total cost of road freight transport take into account a holistic approach when determining the costs? • How are direct and indirect impacts of road freight transport defined, and how do they differ? • What are the direct and indirect impacts of road freight transport? • What method can be used to assess the total indirect costs of all associated impacts? • What are the estimated costs of the indirect impacts of road freight transport on the Johannesburg to Durban Freight Corridor? • What are possible mitigation measures for the indirect impacts of road freight transport? • What will the estimated costs of the indirect impacts of road freight transport on the Johannesburg to Durban Freight Corridor be in over a 30-year horizon, when considering future projections and possible mitigation measures? • What are the alternative modes to road freight transport on the Johannesburg to Durban corridor?
- ItemOpen AccessInfrastructure finance in Africa through the Public Private Partnership (PPP): Is the Lekki-Epe Toll Road (Nigeria) economically sustainable?(2014) Temitope, Ojo; Vanderschuren, MarianneThe aims of the study could be highlighted as follows: 1. To review the existing academic literature on infrastructure finance, particularly in the area of road construction and the economic models adopted in the financing process. 2. To determine whether the accruing benefits from the concession of Lekki-Epe Expressway out-weighed the cost of constructing the purported road. 3. To determine whether the inflows from toll Lekki-Epe expressway can economically sustain the cost over-run on the Lekki-Epe express road concession.
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