Browsing by Subject "Public Transport"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Open Access
    Development of context-sensitive accessibility indicators: a GIS-based modelling approach for Cape Town
    (2019) Aivinhenyo, Imuentinyan; Zuidgeest, Mark
    Adequate public transport infrastructure and services are essential to facilitate access to basic opportunities, such as jobs, healthcare, education, recreation or shopping, especially in low-income cities where the majority of the low-income population have no access to the car. In the context of transport exclusion and urban poverty, access and accessibility metrics can serve as good indicators for the identification of transport-disadvantaged zones or population groups in a city. In Cape Town, accessibility-based planning is being embraced by the authority as a means of addressing the planning defects of the past apartheid regime, which created a city that is spatially fragmented by race and income levels. Among the agenda outlined in its 5-year Integrated Transport Plan of 2013-2018, is the need to develop a highly integrated public transport network in which all households would have equitable access to the public transport system, especially for the majority of the urban poor who reside in the city outskirts far from major economic centres. Although planning efforts are being made to redeem the defects of the past, there is still the need for tools and indicators to understand the current situation, as well as to further aid planning and decision making about land-use and transport. The objective of this research, therefore, is to develop suitable indicators of accessibility, identify possible spatial and socioeconomic drivers of accessibility and evaluate equity in the distribution of accessibility benefits for various population groups in Cape Town. In the study, transport network data of Cape Town are utilised to develop GIS-based indicators of network access and origin accessibility to various opportunities like jobs, healthcare and education, across various modes of travel. An Access Index measures public transport service presence within a zone, based on route and stops availability. The index is used to compare the coverage levels provided by each mode of public transport in the city. Also, an Accessibility Index is proposed, that measures the number of opportunities 'potentially reachable' within a specified 'reasonable’ travel time. A key consideration in measuring accessibility by public transport is the monetary cost of overcoming distance, based on the pricing structure that exists in Cape Town. Equity in accessibility is further evaluated both vertically and horizontally. Vertical equity is evaluated using a proposed Accessibility Loss Index, which analyses the potential implication of affordability and budget restrictions on accessibility, based on the income level of the poor households. GINI type of measures is also proposed to evaluate horizontal equity across the various population groups for various travel modes. To further understand the likely drivers of accessibility, an exploratory OLS regression technique is employed to investigate the relationship between accessibility and a combination of socioeconomic and built environment features of the study area. The study reveals among other things that potential accessibility achievable by car is far higher than that achievable by public transport. The paratransit mode provides the most extensive access coverage, and the highest level of accessibility among all the public transport modes investigated. However, this mode shows to be one of the most expensive options of travel, especially for low-income households who are likely to be restricted by travel monetary budgets. The train turns out to be the most affordable travel option, although the level of accessibility achievable with the train is much lower compared to the paratransit or regular bus. From a vertical equity perspective, the consideration of transport affordability drastically reduces the opportunity space and potential accessibility for the poorest population group compared to the higher income groups. The study further interrogates the distance-based tariff model of public transport services in Cape Town, which it considered to be detrimental to the welfare of poor households, regarding the potential to access essential opportunities. The contribution of this study to the body of research on accessibility is twofold: methodological and contextual. On the methodological dimension, it presents a GIS based approach of modelling accessibility both for the car and for a multimodal public transport system that combines four modes; bus, train, BRT and a minibus taxi (paratransit). It also builds on existing gravity-based potential accessibility measure by incorporating an affordability dimension. The consideration of affordability adds a further layer that enables vertical equity evaluation by judging the potential for destination reachability by the monetary out-of-pocket cost of travel. This approach is considered to be more sensitive to the context of low-income cities like Cape Town, where low-income household’s daily travel decisions are likely to be more guided by monetary cost.
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    Open Access
    Evaluation of the modal choice behaviour and bus service preferences of commuters of the scheduled Golden Arrow Bus Services (Pty) Ltd using stated choice data
    (2014) Cloete, Brendon Lee; Jay, Ian
    Evaluation Problem: The Western Cape Provincial Government faces a public problem of declining service levels with respect of public bus transport services. Stemming from the public problem is the management problem of modelling choice behaviour of commuter stated choices for utility maximisation and therefore as a means of optimising the allocation of the Public Transport Operating Grant (PTOG) expenditure. Historically, differing perceptions amongst travellers, and the difficulties in quantifying these attributes, mean that they are rarely included (directly) within the modelling and appraisal process, or the associated utility computation (Crockett, Sinclair and Whelan. 2008:11). A combination of policies which would ensure that the discrete choices of commuters for an improved bus service are considered in a modal shift from the Golden Arrow Bus Services (Pty) Ltd (GABS) bus service to the MyCiTi Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) service is required to be produced from this evaluation. Evaluation Approach: The evaluation brings together data and analytical information on a broader, more inclusive, societal model of the public transport service in Cape Town. It seeks to: - identify the value aspects of the public bus transport infrastructure and services, - identify and model choice behaviour of GABS bus service users, - generate preference valuations for public transport service attributes and - determine the effect of service attributes on modal choice namely GABS and a hypothetical MyCiTi service area. A discrete choice experiment models the stated choices of respondents who were made to choose between various combinations of service levels during the morning and afternoon peak commuting times. The commuters' willingness to pay for a switch to a new MyCiTi IRT-type service from their current choice of an existing GABS bus service is estimated. The choice data is collected by means of an on-board bus survey along three particular routes in Table View, a West Coast Region in the City of Cape Town, South Africa and where the new MyCiTi service is being introduced. The analyses will show which service attributes are significant in commuter mode choice behaviour, such as changes travel time, fare prices and other significant service attributes, as well as which level of service would maximise utility for the target population. Major Evaluative Conclusions: The evaluation found that the DCE choice modelling approach used was unfamiliar to the respondents and would most likely not have been completely understood. Although the factorial approach to designing the experiment could identify an exhaustive list of value aspects to choose from, the need to adopt a fractional factorial in the final design does necessitate further experimentation to produce a more comprehensive choice model, inclusive of more service attributes and with the discrete choice models corroborated with revealed preference data. Seat availability was by far the most significant choice determinant and the lack thereof would be a serious deterrent to a modal shift to using the new MyCiTi service. The number of transfers during the trip and the distance of the bus stop from home were also significant choice determinants. The choice models indicated that the female commuters particularly, were willing to pay for the new MyCiTi bus-type service. In the absence of suitable seating capacity, a reduced travel time would be required to reduce the standing times and make the MyCiTi service an attractive option. The analysis produced inconclusive data for ridership predictions, although it can generally be said that provided sufficient seating, the GABS bus users will be willing to switch modes, as there is no indication in the data to suggest otherwise. Considering the preferences expressed for the service attributes, a hypothetical service can be proposed, with a service mix of R9.00 per trip, that would take 45 minutes and that offered the commuter a seat for the journey. The first bus stop would be no more than two kilometres away and the journey would consist of no more than one transfer to reach the final destination.
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    Open Access
    The improvement of operational performance of public transport : the case for Gauteng Province, South Africa
    (2006) Cloete, Rodwell; Vanderschuren, Marianne
    Background 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.
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    Non-motorised school travel planning: development, demonstration and evaluation of a 'walking bus' initiative at selected schools in Cape Town
    (2012) Muchaka, Patrick; Behrens, Roger
    This dissertation reports upon research conducted at selected primary schools in Cape Town between 2010 and 2011 aimed at developing, implementing and evaluating the impacts of a non- motorised school travel intervention in the local context. The literature review conducted situated the current interest in active travel modes in the context of concerns over declining child independent mobility. 'Walking buses' were identified as the most appropriate intervention to address the child mobility concerns identified in the city. A 'walking bus' is a group of children who walk to school along a set route, supervised by adult volunteers. As part of data collection for the research, three school travel surveys were conducted using self-completion questionnaires. The first two surveys (n=1,784) were conducted at selected schools in 2010 in two neighbourhoods (Rondebosch and Delft) and were aimed at gaining insights into current learner travel behaviour and collecting the data required to implement 'walking buses'. The third survey (n=984) was conducted in 2010 and 2011, amongst schoolchildren aged 7-15 years, and their parents, and was aimed at exploring child independent mobility in the context of Cape Town and its hinterland. Key findings from the three surveys are discussed in terms of how independently mobile children are, how this varies according to neighbourhood and parent's willingness to let children use 'walking buses'. It was found that independent mobility varied considerably between wealthy and poor households, and across age and gender. Children from poorer households were heavily reliant on walking (88% share of school trips) while children from wealthier households were heavily reliant on cars (87% share of school trips). Parental interest was found to be sufficiently high to make 'walking buses' a viable intervention in both lower- and higher-income neighbourhoods. 'Walking buses' were subsequently implemented, and in the case of Rondebosch, evaluated using qualitative interviews with some of the participating children (n=16) and their parents (n=14). Key findings from the qualitative interviews are discussed in terms of learner travel behaviour prior to, and after, the setting up of 'walking buses', and insights into the impacts of 'walking buses'. The evaluation findings suggest that while scheduled 'walking buses' may be established with considerable levels of support and enthusiasm from parents and schools, they are difficult to sustain over the longer term. The dissertation concludes with a discussion on the tension between child independent mobility and 'walking buses', and implications of the findings for municipalities and schools wishing to promote greater use of walking for school travel.
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    Paratransit operators' participation in public transport reform in Cape Town: a qualitative investigation of their business aspirations and attitudes to reform
    (2015) Schalekamp, Hertzog Venter; Behrens, Roger
    The South African government launched two public transport reform programmes in the last two decades to address generally declining services as well as specific problems with paratransit, the dominant service provider. One programme aims to incorporate paratransit in new bus-based networks in cities; the other is a national paratransit fleet renewal scheme. Cape Town is arguably most advanced with the former, and the first phase of its bus network is nearing completion. Paratransit operators have shown resistance to both programmes, yet there have been few efforts to gain direct insight into their views on their businesses or their attitudes to reform. It is thus difficult to identify reasons behind their unenthusiastic response, or to understand if revisions to the programmes might cause more operators to opt in. This research employed a case study strategy to investigate paratransit operators' business aspirations and needs in Cape Town, and to identify commonalities between their attitudes and the aims of the reform programmes to inform potential amendments to these programmes. The details of incorporating paratransit operators in the new bus system in Cape Town were not systematically recorded, and it was thus first necessary to trace the engagement process between the municipality and these operators. Information was drawn from a variety of sources over a six-year period. Against this background, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 operators and eight drivers from different parts of the city to explore their aspirations and views on reform. Access was arranged through trusted intermediaries and the eight associations to which respondents belonged. The research revealed that operators were not necessarily passive players waiting for government-led change: some established large transport enterprises, whereas others built small-scale businesses. Propositions were subsequently drawn, amongst other things, on the prospects of and potential revisions to the reform programmes. The recapitalisation programme has had the broader reach of the two programmes. The national government should consider extending it and reviewing its financial support mechanism to make it more accessible to small operators. Larger businesses might be well positioned for incorporation in bus operating companies, but concerted efforts must be made to build trust with these operators and to familiarise them with the transition process. By documenting operator incorporation in the bus system, and providing first-hand insight into paratransit aspirations and attitudes to reform, the research ultimately contributes a basis from which to understand operators' existing responses to reform and the potential for their greater participation in it.