scholarly journals Determination of the most appropriate bus rapid transit system for the eThekwini Municipal Area

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Emmanuel Olusegun Adewumi

Invariably, a high percentage of the population of South Africa depends on public transport. In order to continue to satisfy commuters in terms of comfort, travel time, reliability of service and traffic congestion, there is a need to improve the efficiency of moving passengers to reduce travel time, delay time and number of stops. In the quest for advancement and improvement in public transport, many countries now embark on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems based on the successful implementation of the system by cities like Curitiba (Brazil) and Bogota (Columbia). Government departments/transport authorities are often faced with the challenge of selecting the most suitable BRT system relative to the unique features of its transport demands and urban layout. Hence, this study proposes the determination of the most appropriate BRT system for the eThekwini Municipal Area (EMA). An in-depth literature review was conducted in order to determine the most adoptable BRT system amongst median, kerb side and segregated BRT systems, taking into consideration cost implications, safety of the passengers, pedestrian crossing, physically challenged commuters, vehicle option and manoeuvres. Physical assessment and critical review of the current operating BRT systems in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth in South Africa was employed in this study as well as a critical comparison among these systems. The pros and cons of the three functional BRT systems in South Africa were stated and a way forward for EMA was recommended. Lastly, an assessment of the proposed BRT system in EMA was conducted on the existing Phase 1 and the remaining three phases. The review conducted was based on route inspection, access to property, factors considered in the selection of a BRT system, demand analyses of the routes and the evaluation of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth BRT systems. Guidelines were also provided for the remaining proposed BRT routes which could be adopted by the eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA) in order to enhance a better performance in EMA over the three functional BRT systems in South Africa using the aforementioned criteria.

Author(s):  
Prince D. Ugo

This study evaluated commuter uptake of the bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Cape Town,South Africa. As a stated preference survey was not carried out prior to the launch of the new BRT system in the City of Cape Town, it became difficult to assess commuters’ preferences,which would have provided City policymakers and planners with an understanding of customer satisfaction of the proposed bus service. The commuting trend of the BRT system in the City indicates that tickets sales and utilisation by commuters is gradually picking up, but one would have expected high commuter engagement in terms of the modernity profile of the BRT system. This study investigated commuters’ (n = 260) satisfaction levels with 30 service quality variables on a self-rated questionnaire, using quantitative research methodology.The study result showed that passengers were not satisfied with the transport fare and the availability or accessibility of ticket sales outlets. In the context of this study, this result implies that the ‘responsiveness and affordability’ variable of the service quality dimensions should be an area of interest and review to City of Cape Town policymakers and planners. Service quality trends in public transport were also highlighted.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4437
Author(s):  
Sitti Asmah Hassan ◽  
Intan Nurfauzirah Shafiqah Hamzani ◽  
Abd. Ramzi Sabli ◽  
Nur Sabahiah Abdul Sukor

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is one of the strategies to promote improvements in urban mobility. In this study, BRT scenarios, which integrate exclusive bus lanes and bus priority signal control in mixed traffic scenarios, were modelled using a VISSIM microsimulation. Three scenarios of BRT were modelled to represent 16:84, 38:62 and 54:46 modal splits between public transport and private vehicles. It was found that Scenario 4 (the 54:46 scenario) offers better benefits in terms of delay time saving and economic benefits. In general, it was found that the BRT system enhances the functioning of the transport system and provides people with faster and better mobility facilities, resulting in attractive social and economic benefits, especially on a higher modal split of public transport. It is regarded as one strategy to alleviate traffic congestion and reduce dependency on private vehicles. The finding of this study provides an insight on the effective concept of the BRT system, which may promote the dissemination of an urban mobility solution in the city. The results can help policymakers and local authorities in the management of a transport network in order to ensure reliable and sustainable transport.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-57
Author(s):  
Irem Batool ◽  
Muhammad Irshad ◽  
Muhammad Abid

We examine the impacts of a sustainable urban transport initiative, the first Bus Rapid Transit System launched in Lahore, Pakistan in year 2013.Wemeasure the socio-economic and environmental impacts of theBRTusing aquestionnaire-based survey that collected informationon customers’ travel purpose, travel frequency, travel time, mode access, previous travel mode choices (pre-BRT) and travel mode choices at present. Weestimate that,on average,a BRTpassenger savesabout 46 minutes per day on a singletrip. However, the modal shift from personal automobiles to theBRT system is found to be only 4 percent, i.e.,significantlyless than the shift found in otherworldwide BRT systems.Moreover, weestimate the reduction inthenumber of private vehicles on roads, total distance travelled in km and associated travelling costs and,subsequently,the reduction in the carbonemissions. We concludethat the Lahore BRTtransit systemneeds to be expandedto other parts of the city.


2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Geophrey Mbatta ◽  
Thobias Sando ◽  
Ren Moses

The safe and efficient movement of passengers to and from the high-capacity transit system to other modes of transportation is of paramount importance to transportation officials. Transit stations are the primary interfaces for passengers with the transit system. This paper presents a procedure which could be used to develop station design criteria and guidelines with a focus on intermodal connectivity. The proposed procedure may be used for developing station design criteria and guidelines for high-capacity transit systems including rail project and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). A successful implementation of the transit projects will result in higher ridership rates and hence reduce dependency on automobile driving along Florida highways.


2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kgaugelo Sammy Boya

Transport forms the heartbeat of the economy, not only in South Africa but also globally. Over time the South African government has invested a great deal of resources in transport projects such as taxi recapitalization rail technology as well as bus rapid transit (BRT). The BRT project has been a point of discussion in terms of the value which it can bring to key stakeholders, particularly to commuters and the country’s economy at large. BRT is basically an urban public bus transport strategy which seeks to alleviate congestion, mostly in the Metropolitan areas. In this paper the significance of the BRT strategy is highlighted as this may guide future public transport project investment. As a strategic move, the decision for government to roll out BRT is evaluated in terms of blue ocean strategy (BOS) principles and red ocean strategy (ROS) elements. BOS strategy suggests that an organization operates in its own created market space where competition is rendered irrelevant, whereas with ROS organization relies on having a competitive edge in order to outsmart its rivals. The preliminary findings suggest that there are some elements of both BOS principles and ROS that are relevant to BRT projects. BRT is seen as a useful public transport investment particularly for countries with developing economies elements such as South Africa. However, stakeholder buy-in and cooperation should be promoted to preserve the strategic and social gains brought about by BRT and other integrated public transport projects


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 647-667
Author(s):  
Manuel Santana Palacios ◽  
Lisa Rayle

Bus rapid transit has become an increasingly popular investment in cities in the Global South, where policy discourse often positions BRT as a pro-poor investment. Planners usually expect BRT to reduce commute times in urban areas, particularly for economically disadvantaged populations, thus reducing mobility gaps between transit users across different socioeconomic population groups. Despite increased interest in BRT, there is surprisingly limited research testing these assumptions. Using data from a retrospective survey administered in Barranquilla, Colombia, and Cape Town, South Africa, we investigated whether BRT contributes to reducing commute time gaps between socioeconomic populations. Our comparative and distributional analyses indicate that, while BRT narrowed the gap in commute times in Cape Town, it did not contribute to closing the gap in Barranquilla. We argue that this contradiction may, in part, be explained by the degree to which BRT route configuration responded to the urban form and pre-BRT transit conditions in each city—two factors often overlooked in academic literature and discussions surrounding BRT planning. We close by providing policy recommendations that promote more equitable planning practices and recognize the links between transport and land uses in the Global South urban context.


1972 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 27-38
Author(s):  
J. Hers

In South Africa the modern outlook towards time may be said to have started in 1948. Both the two major observatories, The Royal Observatory in Cape Town and the Union Observatory (now known as the Republic Observatory) in Johannesburg had, of course, been involved in the astronomical determination of time almost from their inception, and the Johannesburg Observatory has been responsible for the official time of South Africa since 1908. However the pendulum clocks then in use could not be relied on to provide an accuracy better than about 1/10 second, which was of the same order as that of the astronomical observations. It is doubtful if much use was made of even this limited accuracy outside the two observatories, and although there may – occasionally have been a demand for more accurate time, it was certainly not voiced.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yohen Cuéllar ◽  
Rodrigo Buitrago Tello ◽  
Luis Carlos Belalcazar Ceronn

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