An investigation of the perceived consequences to employees of reducing employment related trip end choices in Cape Town
Master Thesis
2014
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University of Cape Town
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Abstract
In South African, the bench mark for transport expenditure is 10 of monthly income. In the global South “transport poverty” is not a foreign concept considering that most individuals use more than 10 of their income on transport. The driver of these high transport costs is the positioning of economic activities relative to residential areas. Additionally, concerns over Peak Oil’s impact on fuel prices means transport will become even more unaffordable in the future. Through a literature review, this thesis understands the precariousness of transport costs and how they are exacerbated by long commuting distances between places of residence and job locations. This sets the foundation of this thesis and helps in understanding how city structures and travel behaviour are weaved together. This thesis addresses the issue of affordable transport by arguing that providing individuals with a large catchment area from which they can choose jobs is not always beneficial. It builds an argument by borrowing from the “too much” choice theory which posits that the availability of many options does not result in benefits and that there is a point of sufficiency when providing choice. It further argues that access to a larger catchment area in job search is accompanied by a decrease in utility. To test this hypothesis, a stated preference survey was carried among 400 individuals within the Cape Town area in the low and lower middle income groups. From various literatures, it is posited that these individuals have limited options in terms of transport flexibility, in that respect they are identified as the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and Peak oil.
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Includes bibliographical references.
Reference:
Tamuka Moyo, H. 2014. An investigation of the perceived consequences to employees of reducing employment related trip end choices in Cape Town. University of Cape Town.