Transportation 3B (TEST 2)

Why are minibus-taxi is a more economical mode of travel than a bus

• minibus-taxis require significantly lower capital investment and operational overhead.

• operators lower costs through long driver working houses, vehicle overloading and carrying essential maintenance only.

• minibus-taxis concentrate heavily on high-density corridors maximising passenger volume and fare returns.

• they operate as self-sustaining private businesses without requiring direct financial subsidies from authorities.

the aims of the recapitalisation programme

• to renew the aging fleet of minibus-taxis across South Africa.

• it allocated money to trade in old vehicles

• aimed to replace old vehicles with new midibuses having a seated capacity of 12-35 seats

the key points of amendment made in the recapitalisation programme in 2005

• municipalities were empowered to take direct control of taxi ranks and routes.

• a target was set to remove 10 000 old unworthy vehicles from roads by December 2006

• taxi operators wishing to leave the industry were invited to voluntarily hand in their vehicles for a scrapping allowance.

The gross contract system

• a gross contract system is a full cost contract where the TA pays an operator to deliver services on a network.

• taxi associations are contracted by the TA to operate on the formal network as fully fledged buses.

• contracted vehicles must operate according to a fixed schedule, utilise a common through-ticketing scheme and share unified branding.

Why transition to the gross contract system process will not be smooth

• Taxi associations and owners prefer current informal financial arrangements that permit driver exploitation.

• current routes were crudely carved up among associations without meeting actual commuter needs causing roundabout trips and double fares.

• the transition from informal to formal imposes uneasy adjustments regarding route patterns, administrative compliance and cash or ticketing systems.

• passengers experience uncertainty during the transition due to changing routes, schedules and payment options.

Heavy rail operations

• heavy rail operations consist of communter services of long-distance railways that often share tracks with freight/goods trains.

• they differ strictly from metro and rapid pubic transport systems which operate exclusively on dedicated passenger lines.

Why does heavy rail services worldwide operate at below their full potential?

• rigid design standards impede alignments in urban environments and limit operational felxibility.

• service frequency is often low particularly during off-peak hours.

• fixed infrastructure creates spatial barriers that physically divide surrounding communities.

• high capital requirements and large passenger-to-crew ratios create an impersonal image and high operational friction.

operational factors that influence the effectiveness of heavy rail in SA

• accessibility: spatial closeness of routes and stations to passengers.

• availability: the frequency of services provided along a route.

• transfers and modal integration: ease of connection between heavy rail and feeder modes.

• overcrowding and violence: high passenger-to-crew ratios leading to congested platforms and in-transit security issues.

provisions that make passenger transfer conditions conductive

• ensuring the connecting vehicle is already present to arrive with minimal waiting time.

• eliminating physical exertion when changing vehicles through well-designed interchange facilities.

• providing excellent station lighting and robus secutity mesures at transfer points.

• integrating ticketing schemes across different modes to avoid double fare payments.

positive aspects of heavy rail in SA

• strong system image and sense of permanence due to fixed facilities like stations.

• high property development potential on open land surrounding stations and lines.

• reasonably good schedule reliability and acceptable in-vehicle comfort.

• low unit costs per passenger under high-capacity utilisation conditions powered by locally produced electricity.

meaningful steps that should be taken by now to create a province-wide of formal public transport services in Gauteng.

1. establising functional transport authorities (TA) to oversee metropolitan transit integration.

2. contracting taxi associations under a unified gross contract system.

3. implementing scheduled operations across all formal bus and taxi routes.

4. introducing a single through-ticketing scheme and shared network branding.

disadvantages of monorails

• Monorail track beams cannot cross over each other like traditional steel rails.

• switching and manoeuvring areas require extensive physical space.

• Their large vehicle profile prevents efficient usage inside underground.

• they demand significantly higher capital investments than Light Rail Transit (LRT)

What is Light rail

• Involves steel-wheeled vehicles operating in steel rails and powered by electricity from an overhead wire.

• it is a flexible transit mode positioned functionally between conventional buses and heavy metro railways.

LR vs. Buses on streets

• LR provides superior line capacity compared to buses which carry fewer passengers.

• ride quality and passenger comfort on light rail are significantly higher than on conventional diesel buses.

• LR offers stronger permanence, higher community attraction, 0 emissions and better punctuality due to electric operation.

LR vs metro or urban railway

• LR operates with flexible alignment standards directly on city streets whereas heavy metros require expensive exclusive rights-of-way.

• LR connects neighbourhoods closely wheras heavy rail often creates spatial barriers with high fences and walls.

• LR maintains higher off-peak service frequencies and presents a more personal image to commuters.

How does LR demonstrates its flexibility

LR is not a rigid transport concept its easily adapts it function either like a street-running bus or an off-street heavy railways depending on the corridor.

Who are the parties that will benefit from the development of light rail

• local authorities: boosts local economic development, enhances urban design, and controls urban growth.

• property developers: delivers higher returns on investment and construction cost efficiencies.

• transport operators: increases system utilisation, improves brand image and enables capital cost recovery.

List of ways that LR compares with HR

1. infrastructure costs are lower for LR because it does not require a fully exclusive right-of-way.

2. light rail draws communities together whereas heavy rail divides areas with fences, subways and walls.

3. light rail offers higher off-peak trip frequencies than heavy rail.

4. light rail operates on a more human scale with a higher level of personal appeal.

reasons for the lack of progress in introducing light rail

1. historical deregulation allowed for unregulated minibus-taxis to capture the core passenger base required for LR.

2. authorities lacked the confidence to invest in capital-intensive LR systems that compete directly with minibus-taxis.

3. long capital payback periods led financially constrained authorities to choose cheaper, short-term options.

4. Lack of established TAs in south african metropolitan areas delayed formal implementation

The functions of planning/transport authorities in South Africa

• prepare integrated transport plans for a specified geographic area and oversee the direct implementation.

• Perform constitutional transport functions assigned under the relevant transport legislation.

• perform administrative and operational functions relating to operating licenses within their designated area.

• facilitate the rationalisation of public transport, negotiate contracts and manage subsidised service contracts.

• develop appropriate transport plans containing specific measures such as catering to passenger’s special needs

Details of provincial legislation of transport

• provincial transport legislation aligns provincial policies with national transport frameworks like the National Land Transport Act (NLTA).

• it assigns specific operational and administrative mandates to provincial transport departments and municipal planning authorities.

• it provides legal mechanisms to issue, renew or monitor operating licenses for public transport operators.

• it mandates co-ordinated regional transport planning including the establishment of regional route networks and subsidised service structures.

The responsibilities of the PA/TA

• preparing and updating integrated transport plans and current public transport plans and current public transport records for their jurisdiction.

• planning, coordinating and managing formal public transport service routes and timetables.

• administering gross or net contracting systems with private and public transit operators.

• facilitating passenger through-ticketing schemes, regional fare integration and marketing initiatives.

• directing operating license boards regarding route permissions based on established transport plans.

Advantages of gross contracts

• joint planning, scheduling and marketing

• through-ticketing and special discounts

• simplified procedures for fare increases

Advantages of net contracts

• highly suitable for rural areas and small centers where route patterns are straightforward and formal operators are limited.

• they relieve local authorities of complex administration when they lack specialised expertise in marketing, fare setting and day-to-day administrative skills

• they transfer financial management, marketing and fare collection responsibilities directly to the private operator.

3 issues not provided for in the NLTA

• membership of planning/transport authorities (PA/TAs):

membership is strictly restricted to technical and political appointments, SACO proposed expanding membership to reflect demographics.

• the need for statutory passenger committees:

the legislation lacks statutory passenger committees created by Parliment, SACO emphasised that such committees must formally monitor transport services.

• the need for public transport impact assessments:

the NLTA fails to prevent low-density developments built without adequate public transport, SACO advocated mandatory impact assessments to ensure no developments proceed without transport.

What are the options available to the government in finding solutions to the myriads of problems faced by passenger transport?

1. governmeny usually engages in extensive consultations with academics, consultants, government advisers and key industry stakeholders.

2. the suggestions from these relevant consultants are documented implemented through policy frameworks including the National Transport Policy White Paper (1996) and the National Land Transport Act (2009).

the vision of transport infrastructure area in the National Transport Policy White Paper (1996)

1. infrastructure will be in place for South Africa to act as a transport hub with the SADC region.

2. it will promote sustainable economic development corridors at local, provincial, national and regional levels acting as a catalyst for private investment.

3. it will provide adequate accessibility along the safety and security within the constraints of social affordability.

4. it will incorporate technological advances that promote and enhance the role of transport in the economy and development. role of

The vision of land transport in the National Transport Policy White Paper (1996)

to promote of a safe, reliable, effective, efficient, coordinated, integrated and environmentally friendly land passenger transport system in south africa urban and rural areas and the southern african region managed in an accountale manner.

the headings under which strategic objectives/policy statement of land passenger transport in the National Transport Policy White Paper (1996) is defined

• funding (ensure sustainable and dedicated funding for passenger transport)

• spatial (promoted public transport use over private cars to achieve 80:20 modal split and rural development)

• customer-based (address user needs, keep commuter transit spending under 10% of disposable income)

• operational (empower disadvantaged operators to participate meaningfully, ensure operations become economically viable)

the vision of road traffic and safety in the National Transport Policy White Paper

to ensure an acceptable level of quality in road traffic with the emphasis on road safety on the south african urban and rural road network

the strategic objectives of road traffic and safety in the National Transport Polcity White

• the implementation of road traffic control

• establishing integrated and coordinated road traffic management systems across the country involving role-players in all functional areas.

• managing road traffic administration and information systems.

• enforcing traffic legislation.

what is the purpose of the National Land Transport Act

to enhance the process of transforming and restructuring the national land transport system of South Africa by assigning clear transport functions across tiers of government and enforcing safety nd operational standards.

core objectives contained in the National Land Transport Act

1. instutional restructuring/arrangements for land transports

2. integrated transport planning

3. public transport regulations

4. contracting for public transport services

5. safety and modernisation

What led to the design and implementation of the 3WIN strategy by the south african government in 2006

• promises to transform, upgrade public transport and control private car use had not been adequately implemented.

• road authorities were ignoring calls to actively manage private car usage and promote public transport over private transport.

• the strategy was issued in october 2006 to highlight these ongoing problems and provide strategic building blocks to guide transformation

key elements of the 3WIN strategy

1. establishment of transport authorities

2. the implementation of city-wide public transport networks

3. operating public transport services 16 to 24 hours a day, 7 a days a week

4. introducing a “gross cost” contracting system which allows for through-ticketing

5. including the minibus-taxis industry in the gross-cost contract system

6. doubling financial assistance to public transport from R5 billion to R10 billion